


A Huntress becomes a Hero

by NoteHoard



Category: RWBY, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rating May Change, Ruby Rose (RWBY) Needs a Hug, Ships undecided
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:00:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 32,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24781942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoteHoard/pseuds/NoteHoard
Summary: After the Fall of Beacon and losing all of her options, Ruby makes the choice to enroll at U.A..Added 12/21/2020: On the lookout for a beta reader. Information in chapter 4 notes.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 41





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> 85 years before start of MHA a quirk in Europe went haywire and the continents of RWBY were switched in. This also coincides with the Great War of RWBY being half over. The development of the schools and events up to volume 3 happens like in RWBY. The maidens and relics don't exist. For this story, the large dragon continent and Menagerie don't exist. Salem's lair is the small island north of Vacuo. The continents of RWBY go from north africa through part of Europe on Earth. Atlas is around where Norway, Sweden, and Finland are. The Remnant continents are surrounded by ocean. Other countries tried to get close but would be driven away or killed off by aquatic Grimm. The stories of them would become legend. Remnant on Earth becomes the new Bermuda Triangle. That reputation is lessened when contact is established. Eventually the Kingdoms are on good terms with the rest of the world. The gods of light and dark don't exist. As of the start of MHA, the continents of Remnant have integrated with the rest of the world but still don't get many visitors aside from the strong, those that enlist bodyguards, fly, or take a Remnant ship. The inhabitants of Remnant are more curious and explore the rest of the world. The Huntsmen become recognized like heroes and can act as such in other countries after going through whatever country's process is to do so. Huntsmen don't have the same culture around them like heroes do. The semblances of RWBY have been altered into Quirks. Residents of Remnant don't have aura but can take a lot of damage and develop a higher base strength when properly trained.  
> RWBY and My Hero Academia belong to their respective creators.  
> I'd like to thank my friends for helping me get this down.

_Where am I?_ Birdsong and sunlight woke her up. When she tried to open her eyes and move the sunlight burned her vision and her body felt like dented lead. Looking around, the ceiling was familiar as was the rest of the room. _My room?_ She turned her head and saw her dad sleeping, slumped over in a chair. As heavy as her body felt, she had questions for him and she wanted to be upright when she did. 

With a deflated sigh, she pushed herself up. _Did I fall off a building? Why do I hurt so much?_ That little sound was enough to have him jump out of his seat and on his knees at her bedside in a second, relieved joy on his face.

“Ruby!”

“What happened?” Her mouth felt so dry and when she tried to move anything, she felt the dull ache of bruising all over her body.

“Qrow found you, unconscious. He brought you home.” _Yeah, I’m home...but…_

“What about Yang? Is she okay?” Any exhaustion she felt was forgotten. She remembered seeing her unconscious on the ground, a bandaged stump where her right arm should be. Her dad’s smile fell and he couldn’t look her in the eye for a few moments. He had a familiar look in his eyes. It was the same look he gave before he told them that Einz, their first dog, had died.

“She’s gonna be okay. I think she just- I think she’s gotta take some time to get used to things. You know your sister. She’s too strong to let this stop her. I’m just grateful to have my girls back.” The little smile and sad eyes he had made her heart twinge.

“What happened to Beacon and Vale? Were they able to clear out the Grimm?”

“The situation at Beacon is contained and officials are evacuating Vale and surrounding areas in case anything worse happens. But things aren’t that simple. The huge Grimm at the top of the tower is still there, but it’s stuck. You did a number on it, but it’s drawing in more Grimm. That’s the reason for evacuating Vale.” 

Things weren’t adding up.

“You’re saying I-what? I did a number on it?” She remembered seeing the giant Wyvern Grimm at the top of the tower, but she blanked out after that.

“I-Ruby, we can talk about it later. Right now, things are a complete mess.” He still had that apologetic look in his eyes.

“Isn’t it always?” She didn’t even hear Uncle Qrow come in. He stood there, relaxed, draining his flask as if he was always there.

“Can I have some time with her?” 

“You can’t talk to her with me here?” She couldn’t see her dad’s face, but she could hear the defensive edge in his voice.

“Tai, please.” Qrow was stone-faced, but his voice and eyes were pleading. They were brighter in that moment, looking like spilled blood. She could see her dad shoot a glare at Uncle Qrow before it shifted to warmth when he turned to her and kissed her forehead. The light scratch of his stubble is a familiar comfort.

“I’m glad you’re home. I’ll make us some tea.” Were the last words he said before leaving. Then Uncle Qrow took his spot in the chair her dad was in, reclining and crossing a calf over his thigh.

“How are you feeling? You’ve been unconscious for almost a week.” Somehow she thought she was out for longer than that.

“My body feels heavy and everything hurts.” Even that felt like an understatement.

“Not surprised, given what you did.” He gave one of his normal smirks, but there was something in his eyes she couldn’t decipher. But she was frustrated at not getting any answers.

“What do you guys mean, I did something? What did I do?” The grin and shine in his eyes was gone, and he leaned forward, uncurling his legs and resting his elbows on his knees.

“What do you remember from that night?”

“I had run up the side of the tower and when I got to the top I saw… ” She stopped, the last thing she saw that night replaying in her mind.

“Pyrrha, is she..?” She clung to the irrational hope in her heart. That what she saw was just a nightmare.

“She’s gone.” He looked her straight in her eyes. In two words it was gone but something else strangled her heart, squeezing out the tears falling down her face.

“When I got to the top, I saw Pyrrha and Cinder and then everything went white.” She couldn’t stop the snarl at Cinder’s name. She wished that the hands twisting her blanket were around her neck.

“Was there anything else?”

“M-my head felt like i-it was gonna burst. Like someone was using an axe to crack it open.” Her voice cracked as the tears she tried to hold back choked her

“That feeling tells me everything. Your mom described it as something trying to claw out of her skull.”

“Mom?”

“She also said that everything went white, too. That it happened after her eyes activated.”

“Her eyes?”

“Silver eyes. They occur naturally in the rest of the world, but not in the way I mean. But in Sanus and Atlas? They’re practically non-existent. Rarer than diamonds.” His voice didn’t change tone, but he looked away for a few moments, remembering something.

“What do our eyes have to do with anything?” Her headache had lightened, only for a new one to arise. Qrow spared a glance toward her open door. 

“All I’ll say for now is that they were signs of great warriors. There’s a story behind all of this and it’ll take a while to get through it all. Besides, your dad and I weren’t the only ones waiting for you to wake up.” He got out of the chair, leaving her with questions buzzing in her head like flies. Then he hollered down the hall, that she was awake.

There was the sound of rushing heels through the hallway and Qrow made way for her other guests. It was Weiss and Blake, but they looked haggard, their hair all over the place, bags under their eyes, and wearing sweats. She was pretty sure they came from her closet. Their stress melted off their faces, smiles taking over the moment they saw her. Weiss rushed forward first, pulling her into a hug, while Ruby let all the tension leave her body. Blake followed a little slower, limping, but no less energized.

“Oh, God, you’re up.” Weiss’s eyes looked a little puffy and red. Blake didn’t look any better. They each took one of her hands in theirs. She clung to them, memorizing their calluses and warmth.

“The waiting was the worst. How are you feeling?” Blake spoke first. 

“Like I was put through a blender. And you two? Blake, how’s your wound?” Ruby’s eyes trailed down her face, stopping at her lower stomach before.

“I was able to get out unscathed, but I was on edge hours after we got out of the city. As soon as the adrenaline wore off, I fell asleep for eighteen hours.” 

Weiss glanced at Blake quickly before looking back at her.

“The doctors were great. It just aches now. I just can’t do anything strenuous for the next week.” When Blake finished, she closed and opened her mouth. Like there was something else she wanted to say. Her golden eyes turned misty.

“Listen, I’m so sor-” Unshed tears came to the surface.

“We’ll have none of that. If you’re going to try and apologize for what happened, then don’t. What happened that night was none of our faults. It was Cinder’s and the White Fang. The same goes for you, Ruby.” Weiss’ voice was a knife, but her eyes were gentle.

“Huh?” 

“With Penny and Pyrrha. Penny was the surprise attack and we did all that we could to get to Pyrrha.” The edge in her voice dulled but she saw frustration in her eyes. Ruby felt her throat close up, trying to keep her sobs down.

“I knew something was going to happen. I talked to Velvet before their match and she mentioned Coco was seeing things during her match with Emerald and Mercury. When I took my seat later, I saw Emerald, even though their team was supposed to be gone. I felt a chill and ran for a maintenance exit. I ran into Mercury, on two legs. He blocked my way, bought time, and I was too slow. If I was faster, then Penny wouldn’t’ve been butchered and I could’ve saved Pyrrha and I… ” The tears she shed earlier were nowhere near the amount she had.

Whatever strength she had that held her up melted as they wrapped their arms around her. She held onto them tight, tight enough to know that they were really there with her. Hands rubbed soothing circles into her back, her arms, their shared warmth the only thing filling her hollow body. She was a gaping wound, blood still leaking. They all were and as much as the thought hurt, they were there. Alive.

When they all calmed down, her dad came in with a tray of three steaming mugs. He had pretty good timing. The scent of the tea was citrusy. Lemon balm tea. The taste of it was refreshing, perfectly tart. The quiet they fell into was only broken from their measured sips. The silence became too much. So, she made her next sip extra loud. But she swallowed too much at once, burning the inside of her mouth. She let her jaw hang open, fanning her scorched tongue with her hands. Weiss and Blake just stared at her dumbly before blinking, once, twice. Blake broke first, her hand trying to cover her chuckles before she couldn’t hold them back anymore. Weiss rolled her eyes and groaned, but Ruby could see the slight upturn of the corner of her lips.

“You are unbelievable.” a real smile came from Weiss. They finished their tea quickly. She set her mug on her nightstand

“Can you guys help me up? I wanna see Yang.” Their smiles vanished completely as they looked at each other. After a few moments, they seemed resigned before Weiss put one of Ruby’s arms over her shoulders and Ruby shifted her legs to the ground. Blake had rushed to her other side to support her as she walked. The way down the stairs to the guest room never seemed so long. Every step seeped the little energy her body had away. But her mind was wide awake, needing to see Yang. The door to the guest room was wide open and there she was, staring out the window. A chair was at her bedside.

“Yang?” She didn’t turn toward her. The silence in the room weighed heavy on her, leaving her lost on what to do.

“Ruby.” Her voicewas devoid of colour, as flat as a textbook page. But, she answered and she’s there. Blake and Weiss had to keep up with her shuffling steps. 

Instead of taking a seat in the chair, she tried to embrace her sister. As she reached for her though, her legs gave out beneath her which left the only option to wrap her arms around her sister’s waist. Seeing this, Weiss and Blake left the room to give the sisters time for each other. 

“I’m so glad you’re here.” Ruby didn’t care that her body ached, she was just relieved to see her sister.

“But, everything’s gone. The school, the city, Penny, Pyrrha, and ...” Weariness creeped into her tone, washing over every word. Ruby backed up, collapsing into the nearby chair and took a good look at her sister. Her golden hair dulled and limp, shadows under her lifeless eyes, and her skin almost pale as bone. Ruby only spared a glance at her bandaged stump. 

“Mercury has fake legs. I saw them and I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.” Yang only nodded.

“It’s fine.”

“Do you know what happened to the others?”

“I know Jaune, Ren, and Nora are keeping busy. Their injuries weren’t severe. Sun and his team went back to Vacuo.” Ruby let out a sigh of relief. At least they're okay. 

“We can help out once we’re back on our feet.” Hopefully their healing time won’t take long. They’ll have to track down Cinder and the rest of them.

“You mean when you’re back on your feet. I’m comfortable right here.”

“But...” they could only do it as a team.

“Just go.” Yang said bitterly, turning back toward the window and suddenly they were oceans apart. Her hand couldn’t cross the space between them. Blake and Weiss were peeking and quietly came in and carried Ruby out to the living room. The couch bed was pulled out, and all three laid down on it. 

Ruby looked up when the front door opened. Then her dad’s smiling face came into view.

“Are any of you hungry?” The mention of food gave her the realization that she hasn’t had an actual meal in days. Her stomach didn’t growl, but gave a hollow, aching, rumble. All three of them nodded. He left for the kitchen, leaving them be. Weiss was the first to move, grabbing the TV remote. After some browsing, she came upon the news. It went on about the lives lost, evacuation efforts of surrounding areas, interviewing survivors. It was dull noise for what felt like a long time. Until everything stopped.

“The Vale Council will be instituting a new regulation on huntsmen-in-training. All Beacon students that have reached age eighteen will be able to become provisional huntsmen. Anyone found breaking this regulation will be detained and tried for vigilantism. We can only imagine what this decision will have on the other Kingdoms. In other news...” 

“What?” Something twisted and horrible settled in her chest, spreading through her body like roots. Or cancer. What can she do now? Wait for two years to become a Huntress? What about Beacon and the city? Where will Cinder and the others be by then? Will they do the same thing again? She wanted to find her and, and-

“Ruby, stop.” Weiss grabbed her right hand. 

“Your hand.” Blake had her left. She had her friend’s wrists in vice-like grips. After letting them go she laced her fingers together across her stomach and dug her short nails into her skin.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” The dark feeling was ebbing away at the sight of their worried faces. It wasn’t gone, just burrowed away. They’re healing, waiting for her to wake up and she does this. 

“We’re not mad. I’d be frustrated too.” Blake gave a small smile while Weiss nodded.

“The council isn’t even hiding their desperation. Trying to get as many huntsmen out as possible, lowering the age restriction. Understandable, but the amount of novices might make things worse in the long run.” Weiss said placing her free hand over Ruby’s clasped ones, easing her grip. The soothing circles rubbed into the back of her hand brought comfort and shame. 

The TV was turned off then her dad hollered that dinner was ready. She could smell that it was tomato soup. He came out holding a bowl in each hand and served her and Weiss before serving Blake.

“Try not to make any messes on the couch.” He left them again as they sipped from their bowls. The heat and tang of the tomatoes filled the gaping maw of her stomach. Under normal circumstances she’d need several servings and slices of bread to be satisfied. Now she couldn’t bring herself to have more than one bowl. Her eyes fell to her lap once they were done.

“Your dad’s been wonderful.” Weiss went on about how he had practically dragged her and Blake into his home after the worst of their injuries were treated. She called Winter to let her know she’s alright and to not tell their father where she was. Blake stayed quiet throughout her catching Ruby up on what happened while she was unconscious. 

They decided to find something to watch and settled on an interview with one of Japan’s heroes. It was All Might. The words blurred together. She was sure she hadn’t been awake long, but she couldn’t hold back her yawns. The front door opened and Qrow came in.

“Hey, kiddo. Down for the count?” 

“Completely.” He had Blake move over so he could bring her into his arms and carried her like a princess back to her bedroom.

“When did I wake up?”

“Around 3. It’s almost 8.” He slipped her back under the covers and tucked her in.

“What about the stuff about mom?” What didn’t she know about her?

“All you have to worry about is getting back on your feet.” He gently patted her head before leaving. Nestled in her covers, sleep came as easy as dropping a stone.

The next few days were difficult. Talking to Yang didn’t go anywhere. Though she still went to her room once a day. Moving around the house was difficult. She felt like a newborn puppy, tripping over her own feet. She didn’t want to think about the number of times her legs gave out under her when she’d try to get out of bed. Watching Weiss train in her front yard made her want to join her. Though, whenever she’d look at Blake, she knew she wasn’t alone in her envy. Eventually she could hobble around the house without help and the aches of her body subsided. Stretching out in the mornings helped the process. When she could walk around the house with no problems, she began going on morning runs around the island. One day when she came back from a morning run, Qrow was waiting for her on the porch. It was odd seeing him up when the sun was barely peeking above the horizon. The seriousness of his face competed against his gentle gaze.

“Let’s have that talk” She agreed to his request. 

They took the path to mom’s grave, silent the whole way. Once they arrived, Qrow took a seat against a tree facing her grave. She sat on the dew covered grass, all of her attention on him. He ran a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath before looking at her. 

“A long time ago, before Quirks started popping up, when Grimm were wilder, someone got the idea to produce a weapon that could destroy them. That was the silver-eyed warriors. After Quirks came into the picture, they got more powerful, having multiple Quirks at once.”

“If they were so powerful, why aren’t there more of them?” They weren’t mentioned in any history books. How could they be kept such a secret?

“There were some drawbacks to them. When the eyes are activated, the person becomes a machine, driven by a single objective. No emotions to cloud their judgement. Which made them perfect against the Grimm. But the eyes could be activated against people. Your mom described it as an opponent becoming nothing but data and every weakness was exposed. Over time they went from defenders against Grimm to the perfect killers. So, they were made in smaller quantities and were reproduced artificially with each other. To keep them under control and prevent the power from diluting.”

“That’s horrible.”

“There were some drawbacks with the process they chose. It would cause mental degradation and it’d get worse with every subsequent generation. It would make them more likely to go berserk. Being raised into weapons probably didn’t help either.” His even tone darkened a little, disgust in his eyes.

“Where does mom fit in all this?”

“She was among the last one to be made in a lab. But she was made from scratch, the last clean slate. There was a researcher that wanted to end it all, since Grimm were much more manageable and he found the whole affair barbaric. So, he paid special attention to her. She was still trained to be a killer, but it was interspersed with him teaching her right from wrong, reading fairy tales, and allowing her a pet for her to raise.”

“A pet?”

“There were three other children in her group. The only difference between her and them was that she wasn’t the artificial product of two silver-eyes. All of them were given a dog to raise for a year. When that time came, they were told to activate their eyes and kill it. Three of them did. Your mother didn’t. When a guard tried to kill it, she stopped him.”

“She was different, then. That researcher taught her to care for something and to hold back. She was allowed to keep the dog.” So, her mom had been special, just not in the way she thought. The image she of her mom made into a blank-faced killer doesn’t sit right with her. The pictures she has are of her smiling and laughing. Ruby had the vague memory of being wrapped in the smell of baked cookies.

“How did she escape? How did she meet all of you?”

“That researcher had to keep up appearances with all of the children, including her. They were assigned assassination missions, reconnaissance, theft, any covert operation sold to the highest bidder. It became harder for your mom to do it, but she followed every order to the letter. Until she was fourteen when the other kids started losing control. They would attack their handlers, their eyes would activate randomly. It was decided that this batch of silver-eyed warriors were too much trouble, so some higher-ups wanted to cut their losses. A task force was sent in to kill everyone involved, destroy all data, and take samples. They almost succeeded.” She was hugging her knees to her chest, practically on the edge of her seat.

“But, as luck would have it, someone came in to be a hero. That was Ozpin and his trusted allies.”

“He found out about this last facility and took it upon himself to destroy it, but spare everyone else. That night he could only save your mother.”

“What about that researcher?”

“He tried to get Summer out of there but was fatally wounded. She was in such a state of shock she could only watch her protector die. Ozpin made it there first and took care of her attacker. That researcher, with his dying breath, told her that she could trust him and made Oz promise to take care of her.”

“So, Ozpin adopted her?”

“Yup. Then she went to Beacon, team STRQ formed, and you two came along.” His smile came out, his entire presence unwinding. More sunlight came streaming in through the branches, a light breeze brought down dying leaves. Ozpin’s first words to her in that interrogation room came to her.

“So, Ozpin knew about me when we first met. Why didn’t he tell me anything?”

“It takes extreme circumstances to even activate those eyes. Telling you back then would’ve been pointless. He kept you in the dark, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t look out for you.” He quirked an eyebrow at her, daring her to contradict him. But he was right. Ozpin didn’t have to let her enroll early, help her grow as a leader, and show that she could have more than a life on the battlefield. Only now did she understand what he was trying to tell her at the party. 

“I heard about what the council is doing with making students provisional huntsmen. Just because you can’t do it here doesn’t mean you can’t elsewhere.”

“What’re you-” It was then that her stomach growled like a dog.

“Let’s head back. You didn’t eat breakfast before jogging did’ya?” In the blink of an eye he was her joking uncle again. The walk back home was filled with chatter on what to eat.

When they got back, everyone was awake. She could smell eggs and bacon before she opened the door. Once in the kitchen she couldn’t believe what she saw. Weiss at the stove, intensely focused on an egg and her dad hovering around her. She held the pan almost at arm's length, a spatula in the other hand. Blake was watching from the dining table with barely restrained mirth.

“What is going on?” Ruby slid into a chair right next to her.

“Weiss has been impatient, so while we were waiting for you to wake up she asked your dad to teach her how to cook. She might succeed in not burning those eggs this time.”

“Quiet you!” Ruby couldn’t tell if the red on Weiss’ face was from anger or the heat. Weiss got closer to the stove and mixed the egg. Her dad grabbed a plate and Weiss slid her attempt at scrambled eggs onto it. They only looked partly burnt.

“Were there any kitchen fires while I was unconscious?” If there were, then she missed something fun.

“None!”

“Almost.” Her dad and Weiss gave their own answers simultaneously. Laughter suddenly erupted and it was then she realized Yang wasn’t there. It wasn’t hard to guess that she was having breakfast in her room. Wanting to hold onto the little joy she has, Ruby served herself a plate of eggs, bacon, and waffles. Everyone seemed to avoid mentioning the empty seat at the table.

After breakfast she started her own research, her uncle’s words bothering her. The websites for Huntsmen schools in the other three kingdoms all had a strict age limit of seventeen for enrollment. She’d still have to wait. Qrow never said anything about attending the other Huntsmen schools.

Which led to her looking for any legal loophole to become a Huntress. Any student from the major schools can transfer to another. Taking the license exam at age twenty. License equivalencies. Attending schools outside the Kingdoms and becoming a Huntsman through an exam upon return. There was a ranked list of institutions that would be accepted. All hero schools. At the top of the list was U.A. in Japan. She couldn’t help in Vale legally, but she’d be able to get stronger if she went to Japan. At least she wouldn’t be doing nothing. If she had to go to a hero school then she needed to go to the best. A quick look at U.A.’s website told her they accept international students.Which meant she’d need to break out her old Japanese notes from Signal.

Taking the steps two at a time she looked for her dad with her phone in her hand. He wasn’t in his room, the kitchen, or the living room. In fact no one was inside. Which left her to check the garden out front. Dad was tending to his garden while Qrow was sparring with Weiss and Blake. They both looked a lot better.

“Hey Ruby. Wanna join them?”

“Later. But I just figured something out.”

“What?”

“I can become a Huntress by going to U.A.!” His hands stopped moving in the dirt. The smile on his face froze and he slowly turned away from her. Even the sparring match came to a halt.

“What did you tell her, Qrow?” Weiss and Blake backed away slowly, feeling the menace behind her dad’s smile. Qrow looked completely unfazed, almost amused.

“I just told her she could look elsewhere to get what she wants.” 

Blake and Weiss shifted toward her as her dad approached him, both clearly uncomfortable with what’s happening.

“You lot go inside.” Her dad’s voice was clipped. It was clear that this wouldn’t go well.

“We’ll discuss this later.” Blake harshly whispered to Ruby before they shut the door behind them. It was her idea so this was her talk too. 

“What’d you have her do here, Tai?” Qrow had planted the blade of his sword into the dirt before leaning against it.

“She’ll be my teaching assistant at Signal.”

“And spend the next two years wasting her talent teaching kids hand-to-hand?” His chuckle was dry of any humor or joy.

“I’ve trained her since she was a child, and I’ll continue to do so.”

“But I won’t get any stronger.” They suddenly noticed that she didn’t go inside. The last thing she wanted was to fight her dad, but if that’s what she needed to do then she’ll do it. “It’s thanks to both of you that I got into Beacon as early as I did. It’s thanks to my teachers at Beacon that I survived that night. If I stay here, I won’t change. And I don’t want to stay here.” The hurt in her dad’s eyes caught her breath before they hardened.

“Ruby, he put this idea in your head. You’re not thinking clearly.”

“I already wanted to leave before Qrow and I talked. I want to go after Cinder. But, I know if I face her as I am I’ll get myself killed. If I go after her on my own, I know sooner or later I’ll get caught because I wouldn’t know what I’m doing. And I don’t want to drag you into it when I do. I won’t be able to help like I want to, but at least I’ll be getting stronger.” Everything just came out like vomit. Everything she’s been too scared to admit. There was pressure behind her eyes and she could feel the tears coming. She was trying to be an adult and she feels like a child. There was never a time in her life that she ever fought anyone like this, let alone her dad.

“Well, you heard her. Sounds like she’s given this plenty of thought.” Qrow had his confident grin back although his eyes were bright when he looked at her. Was it pride? Her dad’s face scrunched up in anger before it all melted away with a sigh. 

“Is this really what you want?” He had his combat instructor face, still and intimidating.

“Absolutely.” This is the only path she has, so she’ll take it. Then he was her dad again. Qrow put a hand on her head before ruffling her hair.

“Don’t start thinking you’ll be going off alone. I’ll be acting as your guardian while we’re in Japan. The entrance exam is in February, so you’re gonna spend your time prepping.” She hadn't thought much past convincing her dad to let her go. But he’s right. Now she had to tell her team about her plan.

Her foot was barely inside when Blake and Weiss intercepted her and dragged her up to her bedroom. Any pleas for mercy were ignored. Neither spoke until they were shut away.

“What was all that about?” Blake was the first to start the interrogation.

“I just convinced my dad to let me go to a hero school in a country I’ve never been to.” Before they could start lecturing her, she filled them in on the research she did on her own and her reasoning for it and by the end, they appeared less likely to bite her head off. Something else suddenly occurred to her.

“What about you two? Do you guys have plans?” Both of them looked away from her.

“Yes. We’ll both be of age before the year’s over. We’ll get going as soon as we get our assignments. Well, I plan on paying my parents a visit before I get back into action.” Blake explained.

While Ruby was off figuring out her next steps, they were making their own plans. It shouldn’t be a surprise.

“I’ll only be able to hide here for so long. Once I’m eighteen, my father will have no more control over me.” Weiss was frustrated the last time she spoke about her father. Now she was brimming with determination, not letting him bring her down.

That wasn’t something that Ruby wanted to think about. Now she had to face the fact that they won’t be a team anymore. Then, before she could think too deeply on that, they brought her in for a hug. Her vision was completely obscured by their hair. Blake rubbed her back while Weiss just clamped her arms around her.

“We feel the same too. We don’t want to leave but-” 

“I know. I’d be more upset if you guys just waited around for me and Yang to catch up.” Maybe this news might bring a reaction out of her sister. 

Ruby was the one to break the hug, knowing if it went on for much longer, she’d start crying. 

“I’m going to tell Yang about this.” She said, knowing it’d hurt more this time if she didn’t have a reaction. Taking a breath, calming herself before facing her. They gave reassuring pats before she left. Before stepping into her sister’s new room, she mentally prepared herself. Her sister was still in bed, looking out the window. There were sunflowers in a vase on her nightstand. Ever since she woke up, she rarely saw her move about the house.

“Hey Yang.”

“I saw you get between Qrow and dad.” Their gazes met and her pale purple eyes had more life to them.

“That’s because Qrow may have suggested that I train elsewhere. In Japan.” Yang’s eyebrows barely lifted. At least it was something.

“I take it dad wasn’t happy about that.” Some of her snark came back.

“Nope.”

“Are you gonna go?” Then it was gone.

“It’s the best option I got right now.” 

“Do what you want.” Her sister’s apathy squeezed her heart. But getting upset at her wouldn’t accomplish anything and she didn’t want to make things harder for her. So she left before she could say anything else.

Looking at the official U.A. website on the house computer, it listed out academic requirements and comparable courses from other schools. Proficiency in Japanese was obvious, but for Beacon, it only showed requirements for the first and second years. That aside from the history requirement, a first year at Beacon was comparable to a second year at U.A. academically. Then she looked up that U.A. was a three year school and most students enrolling were fifteen. Though she didn’t know how she would study, until Weiss came into her room and accessed her woogle drive which had all of her school notes. There may have been tears at this gift.

A little more browsing and she found links to mock exams in different languages. When she reached it, the instructions required two hours to take it. So, she did. Her scores on math and science were fine, but her score on history was abysmal at 44 out of 100.

The next few months passed in a flash. Studying for the math and science portions of the entrance exam was easy, but brushing up on her Japanese and learning history required some extra effort. Weiss helped her organize her notes through the wonders of stationery while Blake assisted with memorization. The only way she’s able to practice Japanese is with online tutorials until her dad mentioned that a community center on the mainland was offering Japanese classes for all of December.

Until then, she spent her time in November studying, training, and squeezing as much time with her friends as possible. Her dad helped all of them with hand-to-hand combat and correcting their movements. Weiss would teach her to move gracefully, in and out of battle. Ruby had plenty of bruises from her correcting her posture and habits. Blake taught her how to sense someone targeting her and sneak without being detected. Ruby would practice her Quirk by running through the woods and shifting to her petal form. She could change direction midair but could only keep it for about four seconds. Over time, Yang would walk around the house where they could see her. Even make a remark as she passed by them. 

Qrow had to leave early, saying that there was some official business he had to do before they left for Japan. The only way she contacted him was through sporadic calls or texts. Several days after he left, she got an email from Professor Goodwitch. She had sent her transcripts from Beacon along with video footage from initiation and the food fight. The last line read: _Remember not only how much you’ve grown but also the simpler times as you start this new journey, Miss Rose._ It wasn’t hard to figure out the reason that got this message sent.

When November was almost over, they celebrated Blake’s birthday and waited for her online ID to get the provisional Huntsman mark. She could receive her physical license at any Huntsman office. The day she packed up and left was overcast and chilly. Her and Weiss helped her pack. She wouldn’t let them see her off at the pier but at the front of Ruby’s home. It was probably the best decision. Better to get their farewells done sooner. 

“Mr. Xiao Long, thank you for everything.” The little bow of gratitude she gave was awkward and robotic.

“Don’t worry about it Blake. You can think of this place as a safe place.” Her dad was nothing less than affectionate. Bringing her into one of his spine-cracking hugs and lifting her a few inches off the ground. Once she was steadied and stretched out her back she moved on to her friends.

“I know that once we’re all off this island, we’ll become too preoccupied with what’s ahead of us. So, I want you to have this.” With her duffel bag on her shoulders, she undid the bow at the top of her head. She placed the black ribbon in Ruby’s hand and folded her fingers over it.

“But, you always-”

“I don’t need it anymore. I want you to have a reminder of me. Don’t worry about giving me anything. This last month was more than enough.” The mix of the warm smile and forlorn eyes left Ruby unable to argue against her. Weiss, however, couldn’t be silenced.

“At the very least, text whenever something major happens.” Her steely grimace was shattered when Blake embraced her. Ruby couldn’t help herself and joined them. Holding back her tears was an exercise in restraint. If she let them fall while Blake was within reach, she might try to keep her there. Keep team RWBY together. She had to remind herself that they would see each other again. That they all had something that needed to be done. While they were waving her goodbye, her dad had left and Blake had vanished from their sight. When they turned to head back inside, she saw the drapes move from behind one of the windows. Was it Yang?

Later at night in the room she used to share with Yang, Ruby sat on her bed,wrapping and twisting the ribbon in her hands, lost in thought. Then Weiss plucked it from her fingers. She was in her pajamas with a brush and mirror in her free hand.

“It’d be better if you could put it to use.”

“But I don’t know how to do anything with my hair.”

“Why do you think I’m here?” She handed over the mirror, took a seat behind Ruby and started brushing her hair. 

“I know how to do Yang’s. When we were growing up she’d need help with anything complicated and I have nimble fingers.” The round bristles against her scalp were soothing and she was brought back to being a little girl.

“Your hair’s gotten longer.” She could see Weiss fiddling with the ends of her hair through the mirror.

“Has it?”

“It was around your jaw when we first met and now it’s at the base of your neck. Thinking about letting it grow?” Their eyes met through their reflections.

“Maybe. If it becomes too much then I can just cut it all off.” It might be nice to try something different. Through the mirror she watched Weiss wrap the ribbon around her head before tying it into a bow and tucking in the extra length under the headband. She could do it on her own.

“It’s cute. Thanks, Weiss.”

“Anytime.” She got off Ruby's bed and got into Yang’s old bed. Ruby undid the bow and set the ribbon on her nightstand before turning in for the night.

December brought more snow and her official Japanese lessons. The community center was always warm, but the classroom would have her shivering. By then her score in history had climbed to 67. She was so close to a passing score she could taste it. 

Ruby would practice hiding her presence with Weiss and her dad, but also by play-hunting animals. She’d follow deer, foxes, or rabbits for as long as possible and wrestle them until they yielded. Then she’d let them go on their way. The rabbits were easy enough, but foxes proved to be very slippery and she had to watch for the antlers from the bucks. After a few hours, she’d come back home covered in mud, twigs in her hair, and shivering from the snow.

Two and a half weeks came and went when Weiss’s day to leave came. Her dad gave his farewell back-cracking hug before he left for town. Everything Weiss had obtained was in her own duffel bag, waiting on the living room couch. However, she had a final request from Ruby.

“Cut my hair.” She was holding out scissors for her to take. Her long hair was pulled into a loose ponytail.

“Why?”

“I’m going to be traveling and having shorter hair means one less thing to worry about. It’s just easier maintenance.”

“But your hair’s so pretty.” It truly was. She didn’t want to think about how long it took for her to grow and take care of.

“And I’d rather not hack it off if it gets caught on something.” Her posture may have been that of a queen but Ruby could see her hand shaking. So, she took the scissors while Weiss took a seat in a stool and wrapped herself in a nearby blanket.

“How short do you want it?”

“Around yours.”

“You are not allowed to yell at me if you don’t like it.”

“I promise I won’t.” She knew Weiss was pouting.

“You better.” Weiss’ posture had become much stiffer and was still shaking. To keep it quick, she pulled the hair tie until it was at the base of her neck and tried to cut it all in one go. Due to her hand shaking and unbelievably thick hair, every cut was uneven, but it was soon over and the tied-up hair fell to the floor. 

Weiss’ hands came up to feel the ends and shook her hair out. She went still for one second. Two. Three. Then she was sprinting for the mirror in the bathroom. Her scream shook the foundations of the house and was over as soon as it came. It briefly occurred to her that Weiss might’ve brought animals out of hibernation. Yang bolted out of the kitchen and the sisters shared a look of ‘What just happened?’

Every click of heels brought their attention to the staircase. They were measured and even, as if she didn’t scream her head off. Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, her face was the image of composure. 

“It’s not that bad. It’s fine. It’s fine. There’s just going to be an adjustment period.” But her voice was shaky.

“I tried.”

“It’s not that bad. Let it grow and you can have it evened out.” Yang had started taking a bigger part in the conversations, a little bit at a time. She stayed in the doorway to the kitchen.

“Glad I didn’t choose to be a hairdresser.” Ruby couldn’t stop her hand from rubbing her neck.

“Maybe you should just avoid scissors to be safe.” Her sister’s attitude and smile made a rare appearance as she shifted her weight and put her hand on her hip. Weiss took the ensuing silence as an opportunity to grab her jacket and bag. Ruby followed her to the door while Yang kept her distance. She took something out of her jacket pocket. It was the small tiara she usually wore with her ponytail.

“I won’t be needing this anymore. So hold onto it for me.”

“Okay.” The serious look in her eyes left no room for arguing.

“I hope everything works out for you.” 

“Same, for you. I’ll miss you.” She brought Weiss into her arms, her new short hair tickling her face. 

“Same. Yang, I hope things are different when we meet again.” Yang just nodded, solemn resignation evident on her face. Then Weiss walked into the snow, leaving them for her own path. Leaving Ruby to fiddle with the tiara in her hands.

The rest of the month came and went. The house was a lot quieter. She took her Japanese proficiency test and passed. She brought her history score up to eighty-one. All the paperwork was set for her to take the entrance exam and move to Japan. The Christmas decorations didn’t come out and New Year’s just brought heavier snow. Her dad helped her keep up her training, even in the snow. Her body always ached and shivered afterward. They cook dinner together while Yang sits and watches. She’ll sometimes see her practice writing with her left hand. It would shake like a tremor was going through it, but she’d keep writing.

January brought a letter from Jaune. He, Ren, and Nora were mostly taking out large swarms of Grimm that get close to the town that they’re patrolling. The Huntsman they’re shadowing was cold at first but eased up over time. He apologized for not getting in contact sooner, explained what happened between him and Pyrrha at Beacon. Weiss reached out to him, told him what Ruby plans on doing. He knows that she’ll do great while she’s at U.A.. They’ll be there for her when she gets back and to keep in touch. There was a picture of him, Ren, and Nora giving her thumbs-up and radiant smiles. But she could see how messy their hair was and the start of bags under their eyes. They all wished her good luck. She had to put some space between her and the letter to keep her tears from messing up the ink.

The end of the month brought her uncle back to her. He came in the early hours of the morning before the sun came up. Her dad’s cooking woke her up, the scent wafting up to her room. So, she followed the grumbling her stomach and found her uncle at the breakfast table. He gave a wave and a smile from behind his coffee mug. Yang was at the stove with their dad, helping him cook. There was so much weird happening, it took her groggy brain time to process.

“You’re back.” She punctuated with a yawn.

“Yeah, I had to take care of a few things before we go. I stopped by Japan, got us a place to stay, and I can work as a hero while we’re there. We’ll leave in a few days.”

“Wait. What kind of place is this?” Her dad turned from flipping bacon to frown at him.

“It’s in an apartment complex in an area with a low crime rate. Plenty of families with small children. Our apartment is sandwiched between two empty ones. It’s also not too far from U.A. which will give Ruby a bit of a break trying to navigate the train system.” He listed all his points without looking at him. Her dad’s face didn’t soften but he went back to what he was doing.

“My sense of direction isn’t that bad.” Everyone stopped what they were doing to raise an eyebrow at her. Their expressions ranged from disbelief to fond exasperation. Not wanting to think about the time she got lost at the grocery store as a kid, she changes the subject.

It was the morning of February fourth when she’d leave her home. She had everything she’d think to bring. Her dad helped her carry all of her things to the ferry, while Yang kept to herself. Qrow led the way with a small backpack and a case for his sword. She could feel her stomach turning. This would be the farthest she’d ever gone from home. When they got to the ferry, Yang stopped her then pulled out a purple cloth from her pocket. She recognized it as the kerchief she wore around her knee in the past.

“Since the others gave you something, I didn’t want to see you off without doing the same. Don’t go thinking that I’m letting you leave without it.” Her sister’s fire was coming back, slowly but surely. So she took the offered cloth but not without grasping her hand between her own. But, she kept it loose enough for Yang to pull away. She didn’t.

“I’ll take good care of it. I promise.” Just to prove a point, she tied it around her neck. The new red hoodie she wore didn’t have a section to pull up to hide her face. The fabric of the kerchief was soft but she knew that it was sturdy, having seen her sister charging into fights while wearing it. Then the boat’s horn sounded, signaling its departure.

“Ruby, come on!” Qrow called from inside the boat for her.

“See ya later.” The smile she gave was the most sincere she’s seen since they came home. Then she stepped onto the boat and waved goodbye to her sister and dad.

The ferry ride to the mainland was too short for her to try and get a nap in. But she was able to sleep on the plane ride to Japan. Which left her plenty of energy when they arrived to gawk at the buildings and read the signs to practice her Japanese. The sun was about to set when they arrived at their new home. The apartment building they’d be living at was one of three clustered together. Only her uncle could bring his sword with him; she couldn’t bring her weapon due to her age. It’d get him in trouble if he brought Crescent Rose under his name and she was caught using it. He carried her suitcase full of books and notes while she had all of her clothes, toiletries, and other small belongings. The case for Harbinger was in his free hand.

Once they were inside, she was surprised to see that their apartment was completely furnished. The fridge was full, the couch had blankets and throw pillows and a large TV. 

“Your room is down the hall, first door on your right.”

“Did the apartment come with all the furniture?”

“Nope. I got the place a little over a week ago.” 

Touched by his actions she went to check out her bedroom. He followed behind, carrying one of her bags. There was a bed already set up along with a desk in the corner and a dresser for her clothes. Aside from that, the room was completely empty.

“Get unpacking then we can go out to eat.” So she set up her bed and lined her books up on her desk. Then put the picture of her friends to one side of the desk. With the dresser, she threw her clothes in their own drawers and she had put everything she’d need on a regular basis away. She could just pull them out whenever she’ll need them. Maybe she could convince Qrow to go shopping for decorations. Then she felt her stomach growl and had no idea what she wanted to eat.

“I’m done. What’s for dinner?”  
“I’m gonna order take-out. You cool with beef bowls?” She never had one before. But beef sounded good.

“Yes, I am.” He made the phone call and ordered for her. After half an hour, there came a knocking on the door. Qrow didn’t move from his spot on the couch and inclined his head toward the door. She grabbed his wallet before answering. The delivery boy looked a few years older and held their dinner in a plastic bag.

“Two large beef bowls?”

“Yes, that’s us.” Trying to speak Japanese felt odd. If she tried to speak more, she’d trip over the words. The delivery boy told her the amount the food was and paid for it while keeping her responses short. The juicy smell of the beef had her mouth watering. While they sat on the couch to watch tv while eating, she realized she’d have to get used to eating with chopsticks. The beef and rice would fall so much that she had to curl herself over the bowl so she wouldn’t make a mess. It got more doable over time and she was able to finish her meal before it got cold. Qrow collected their trash with a yawn before talking to her in Japanese.

“Lights out, kid. You can stay up in your room, just don’t wake me up.”

“Got it. Good night.” Still wide awake, she texted family and friends that she got through her first day in Japan. In her room, with the quiet all around her, it finally sunk in that this would be home now. Still on edge, she went to her suitcase. She brought out her cloak and wrapped herself in it. Eventually, sometime during the night while staring at the ceiling, she finally got some sleep.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this story I’ve made adjustments to some of the events and elements of RWBY to make it flow with MHA and adding in some of my ideas to RWBY. Such as Ruby also knows hand-to-hand combat. It never made sense that Yang knows but she doesn’t. I’ve also given Taiyang a quirk that’s perfect for teaching them. The White Fang still exists. There will also be points that I reference events from the Shirow Miwa manga and the anthology. I think they add to the characters. Dust still exists. If I tried incorporating its properties to the quirks of characters who make use of it (Ex:Blake and Weiss), it would make them too OP.

Mornings have become quieter for Inko since Izuku would leave to train for the U.A. entrance exam. It was hard to believe it was in a few weeks already. She hoped that he’d get accepted and she didn’t want to think of what would happen if he didn’t. The image of him at four years old, crying at the computer screen crossed her mind. At the time, she couldn’t be a good mother for him. This time she’d have to trust in the effort that he’s putting in and pass or fail, she’ll be there for him.

With the extra time she had in the morning, she took to cleaning the entire apartment from top to bottom. When she had all the trash collected and was about to drop it off outside, she looked down the hall to her left from her door.

A little over a week ago she saw movers bringing in things to the long-empty apartment down the hall. Bed frames, mattresses, a television, a couch, and the like. Wanting to welcome her new neighbors, she waited around for a few minutes to see anyone that wasn’t obviously a mover. 

“Excuse me, ma’am?” A deep, throaty rasp came behind her. Turning back, she had to look up at the man speaking. _ I didn’t even hear him. _ Fear and unease overtook her body as she took him in. He towered over her even while slouching and it felt like his entire presence took up the hallway. His face was all sharp angles and when she met his eyes, she had to look away. They were a faded red, but bright and piercing.

“Y-Yes?”

“I just need to get by. I’m moving in.” His outstretched hand pointed toward the once empty apartment down the hall. Without delay she moved to the wall to let him pass.

“My a-apologies for g-g-getting in the way.” She couldn’t help her voice coming out as a terrified squeak.

“No worries.” As he passed her, she noticed a large metal case strapped to his back. It looked incredibly heavy and she tried not to imagine what could be inside it. When Izuku came back from training for lunch, she made him promise to not talk to that man. She hadn’t seen that man since.

While Inko was heading toward the elevator to take out the trash, she heard a door open behind her. Coming from that apartment. Not wanting to take any chances, she sped walked for the elevator and was dying on the inside waiting for it to come to her floor. Light footsteps came behind her.  _ Light?  _ Chancing a look to her right, she was thrown completely off.

It was a girl about the same age as Izuku. She looked bright and relaxed with earphones dangling around her neck. Judging by what she wore, Inko could assume that she was going for a run.

“Do you need any help, ma’am?” Inko noticed how awkward this girl’s japanese was. She understood what she said but could tell she wasn’t used to it.  _ She’s definitely a foreigner. _

“No, but, thank you though.” The ding of the elevator came and they both stepped in, Inko feeling less tense. It was probably safe to make small talk with her.

“What brings you to Japan?” Only now did she realize that this girl was a little shorter than her.

“I’m here to get into U.A.. I flew in last night and now I’m staying with my uncle.” She gave a sparkling smile and her pale gray eyes shined with joy and determination. But the last thing she said gave her pause.

“Y-your uncle? Could you tell me about him?” There was something she had to check.

“He’s tall, a pretty good cook, great at video games, and the best teacher ever.” The overflowing love as she talked about him was sweet. But the details weren’t quite what she was looking for. If she’s right, then she has to watch the next thing she says.

“I mean is he a little unshaven, has red eyes, and a sharp face?” The elevator dinged again, doors opening for them to leave.

“Yeah, that’s him. You two meet already?”  _ Are we really talking about the same person?  _

“S-Something like that.” They came to the garbage drop-off for their building. 

“Well, I’ll see you around. Oh-I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Ruby Rose.” She gave a slight bow that Inko returned.

“I’m Midoriya Inko. I have a son your age trying to get into U.A., too. I hope you run into each other.” Ruby might be a good friend for him. She seems sweet.

“I’d like to. Have a good day Midoriya-san.” As Ruby put her headphones in and started jogging, Inko couldn’t help but notice that the ends of her short, black hair shifted to red at the ends. 

X

While on her jog, Ruby took in the sights. The skyscrapers towering above her, the few people out as early as she was. She eventually came across a beach and continued her jog on the sand. The sunrise was beautiful with the warm glow along the horizon. The moment was ruined when her eyes moved to a landfill on the beach in the distance. Curious, she jogged toward it. 

Up close, it wasn’t as big as she thought. It didn’t take up a lot of space, and seemed to be separate piles of abandoned appliances and didn’t smell like garbage. Through the space between them, she saw someone running around carrying a broken microwave to a pick-up truck. On closer inspection, she realized it was a boy her age with wild green hair that was doing the cleaning. After a few moments of watching, he turned toward her.  _ He must’ve felt someone staring at him. _ Seizing up at being caught, she decided to own up to it and introduce herself. 

“Hey there. Sorry about watching you, I was just curious who was cleaning this place up.” The back of her neck felt pretty warm as she rubbed it. Now that she was closer, she could see this boy had freckles and green eyes.  _ Why does he look familiar? _

“D-don’t worry about it.” He couldn’t look her in the eye and would keep looking elsewhere.  _ He’s probably nervous with new people. _ Which is a sentiment that she can relate to.

“Why are you doing all this cleaning, anyway?” Her shoe dug into the sand.

“I’m trying to train my body.” The nervousness dissipated a little with the change in conversation. 

“So, by carrying all this stuff, your body doesn’t fall into a routine.”  _ I think Yang did something similar along with gym visits. _

“Yeah, that’s it.” He finally looked at her directly.

“Well, I’ll let you get back to training. Good luck.” Instead of taking the stairs to get back to the sidewalk, she hopped over the railing. She turned the music back on in her headphones and jogged back to her new home. 

When she got back, all she found was a note from her uncle. He had gone out to get groceries for them. The fridge was on the empty side when she had after reading his note. After her shower, she grabbed one of her books to read and plopped herself on her new bed. There were only a few chapters left, so she finished it. Then she tried stretching. Then she studied. 

“Kiddo, lunch!” She didn’t even hear him come in.

“Coming!”  _ I was so close to going into a handstand and letting the blood rush to my head out of boredom. _

X

While they ate, Qrow could tell that Ruby was distracted. Her pushing around her food and daydreaming were easy tells.

“Anything happen while you went for your jog this morning?”

“I ran into one of our neighbors on my way out. Inko Midoriya.”

“Wrong name order. How’d that go?” She gave a flat glare before moving on.

“Got it. Okay, I think. She was nice. Her son’s trying to get into U.A. too.” He’s going to be starting work tomorrow night. It’ll be good for her to make a friend.

“What’d she look like? I might’ve run into her.” He started chewing on his food.

“She’s about my size, long green hair, green eyes.” He could feel his optimism sink.

“What’s wrong?” Her head tilted with her question.

“I met her before you got here. She looked about ready to drop dead when I looked at her.” He needed to get on her good side.

“Now that I think about it, she asked about you, too. She looked a bit unsettled.”

“If we run into her, you’re staying with me. If I try alone, she’ll run and hide.” He thought,  _ Ruby shares the same gift that children and small animals possess; people let down their guards _ . Her hand came up in a two-fingered salute as she finished her lunch.

“Aye-aye, sir.” With the kitchen and table cleared, he went back to his room while she watched TV until dinner.

X

After dinner, she worried she’d be spending the next few weeks until the entrance exam bored out of her mind. There had to be somewhere she could train, something more to do. It was irritating how tightly regulated quirk usage is in Japan.

Browsing through her phone brought up a nearby library and a gym that she could kill time at. So, she went to her uncle’s room with her phone. Looking through the features the gym provided, there was an area for people with Quirks that needed more space to use. That had her sold. She knocked on Qrow’s open door and let herself in.

“Hey Qrow! Can we go here tomorrow?” He looked up from his laptop screen to her phone.

“Sure thing. We just can’t stay out too late, I’m going in for my first day as a hero at five.”

“Got it. Have a good night.”

“You too.” She gently closed his bedroom door and the clock hanging to the side suddenly fell. Without any thought, she caught it before it could break.  _ Maybe it would be better to hang this somewhere else?  _ She took it with her to her room and set it down on her desk before getting ready to sleep. Tucked under her covers and staring into the dark, the  _ tick tock  _ of the clock rang inside of her head as the only sound in her room. Burying her head under her pillow muffled it, but it was too late. The sound echoed inside her until she fell into a restless sleep.

The next day after finishing breakfast, Qrow’s phone rang. His eyebrow scrunched before he answered calmly. Ruby just sat at the dining table and observed.

“Hey Glynda. We were just having breakfast. Yes, she’s here. I’ll put you on speaker.”  _ What does professor Goodwitch want with me? _

“Hello, Ms. Rose. I hope you’re well.” Her voice was as stern and even as Ruby remembered.

“Hi Professor Goodwitch. I’m okay. What’s going on?”

“I know that the entrance exams for U.A. are approaching. I’ve contacted you to see if you’d like to take a different exam.”

“What do you mean?”  _ That’s news to me. _

“U.A. has the general exam that any student can take and an exam for those with recommendations. Reputable individuals that can vouch for the applicant’s abilities. The only difference between the two is the practical portion.”

“Why’re you telling me this?” _ I think I know where this is going. _

“Would you be willing to take the exam for recommendations? Oobleck and I can write up letters for you easily. The principal of U.A already knew of... what transpired at Beacon. I’ve also informed him that one of our students is applying for the entrance exam. Considering the circumstances, he’d be willing to make an exception and let you enroll for the recommendations exam this late.”

“One of our students?” Qrow chose that time to intervene.

“Good morning, Qrow!” she knew that hyperactive, fast-talking voice anywhere.

“Professor Oobleck!?” It slipped out of her mouth before she could correct herself.

“That’s still Dr. to you.”

“Sorry, Dr.”  _ Still touchy about that, I see. _

“Back to the matter at hand. Should you choose to take the recommendation exam, it’ll make you stand out amongst your peers and grant you more opportunities later on.” Professor Goodwitch sniped, focusing the conversation again. Qrow and Ruby shared a look. With a lifted eyebrow, he asked if this was what she wanted.

She remembered back at Beacon how people would already know who she was. Team CFVY was nice and welcoming by having lunch with her and her team. Then there were others who’d come and ask if she’s Ruby Rose. When she’d say yes, she’d get bombarded with questions on how she got into Beacon early. Every time she’d say that Ozpin let her in, they’d laugh like she was joking. Without fail, when they realize that she wasn’t kidding, they’d get these bitter looks on their faces and call her a liar. Or worse, bringing her team into it. There was that time Cardin picked on her for not deserving to skip ahead two years and insulting her team before she fought and beat him. _ I don’t need any of that again. _

“Thank you both for this offer. But, I have to refuse.” 

“May I ask why?” Glynda responded, without missing a beat.

“Well, I’m grateful that I got into Beacon when I did. If I was back in that interrogation room and knew what I know now, I’d still choose to go to Beacon. But, there were times that the fact I got in early affected how other students treated me. I don’t want to deal with the after-effects of that attention if I take the recommendations exam.” It felt better to call them after-effects instead of consequences. That would imply she did something bad and it was a punishment. The other side of the line grew silent until Professor Goodwitch’s voice took shots at her reasoning.

“Whether it be as a hero or Huntress, you’ve chosen a difficult profession to try and blend in.”  _ Can always count on Professor Goodwitch to poke holes through any plan.  _ Ruby cringed, as if her words pierced her. But her tone was marginally warmer. Not as critical. Still hurt, though. Qrow just gave a little pat on her head.

“I must agree with Glynda. But, we’ll accept your wishes. Just know something Ms. Rose. Try as you might, you will garner attention. Whether it be because of where you’re from, who you are, your abilities, or what you’ve survived. I hope that your new teachers will see the spark I saw in you at Mountain Glenn. I’m sorry to hear of what you experienced at Beacon. I can only hope that things will be better for you there.”  _ I’ve only heard Dr. Oobleck so serious one other time. _

“I hope you enjoy your time there, Ms. Rose. However, I have one request.”

“Anything, Professor Goodwitch.”

“Try not to get into so much trouble.” Exasperation colored her tone.  _ I can see her rubbing her temples. _

“WHAAaaaaaat? But, it’s just me over here. How much trouble could I get into?”

“There was that time at the Dust shop.” Professor Goodwitch’s tone took on a slight edge. The little chuckle at the end made Ruby do a double take.

“There’s some things I wanna know, Glynda. Aside from the principal, who else knows about what happened at Beacon? Does he know about Ruby specifically?” Qrow cut in, his mouth suddenly in a grimace.

“He doesn’t know about her by name. Only that she’s a former Beacon student. He assured me that should she enroll, only faculty that interact directly with her class would be informed about The Fall. However, what happened at Beacon isn’t restricted information outside of the kingdoms. Anyone could connect the dots if they wanted to. Her being from Remnant would draw attention regardless. He gave me his word that he wouldn’t look into her until she’s a student. I know him enough to trust what he says.” Professor Goodwitch was suddenly all business.

“How do you know the principal, Professor Goodwitch?”  _ That’s news. _

“I accompanied Ozpin when he traveled to Japan in the past. That’s when I met him. A very astute and polite fellow.”

“And the Dust shop robbery?” Qrow brought up.

“Vigilante laws aren’t as strict here as in Japan. It’s listed on her record, but wasn’t counted as a strike against her. She did help catch some of the offenders, after all. I will say that all infractions she earned while at Beacon are on her file. And I do mean ALL of them.”  _ She’s definitely talking about the food fight. _

“You make me sound like I was a delinquent.”  _ I know I wasn’t that bad! _

“You were better behaved than a little bird I know.” Oobleck chimed in.

“You wound me Barty.” Qrow reeled back with his hands over his heart. He then let out a few snickers. _ Barty?  _

“We’ve discussed all that we wanted to. I wish you well on your journey.”  _ Is Professor Goodwitch smiling? _ She could’ve sworn she heard it.

“Never forget where you come from, Ms. Rose.” She could imagine Professor Oobleck giving her a salute as he spoke.  _ No, Dr. Oobleck! _

“I won’t. And thank you both.” The last thing she was gonna do is forget.

“Hope we’ll talk later.” That was how Qrow ended the call.

He patted her shoulder and gave a smile.

“Did I make the right choice?”

“Can’t say. Try asking again after you’re enrolled. Now get changed. Wasn’t there somewhere you wanted to visit today?” They both got ready and left side-by-side.

X

Inko hadn’t looked where she was going when she opened her apartment door to go grocery shopping. She bumped right into someone with a yelp. 

“Hey there Midoriya-san.” That was Rose’s voice. Thin, small hands steadied Inko. 

“I’m so sorry, Rose-chan.” As welcome as her appearance was, the man next to Ruby ruined it. It was the same man that terrified her with a look.

“Mom, are you okay?” Izuku’s voice came from inside and when he came to check on her, both teenagers were taken aback before…

“You’re the boy from the beach!”

“You’re the girl from the beach!” As they jumped into introductions and chatter about training, the adults took in the sight.

“I didn’t have the chance to introduce myself before. I’m Qrow Branwen. My niece mentioned you, Midoriya-san.” He smoothly bowed to her while she took a second to process his gentle tone. 

“T-the pleasure is mine. May I ask what has you two out and about this morning?” Even with Ruby and Izuku, she still felt off-kilter.  
“There were some places she wanted to visit, so I’m tagging along. What about you?”

“Just going grocery shopping.”

“I was actually hoping to run into you.”

“Oh?”  _ Please don’t make some shady deal with me. _

“Ruby told me about your son and I was hoping to introduce them. But, it seems they took care of it.” He glanced at them with her following suit. The two of them were still happily chatting, like their guardians had disappeared. Izuku looked completely relaxed and content. It had been so long since she’s seen him like this with anyone but her. Something else occurred to her. By their names and accents, she was right that they were foreigners. Which would mean that Ruby likely didn’t know anybody.  _ He was worried that she didn’t have any friends her age.  _ She couldn’t help the little squeeze that gave her heart.

“She’s more than welcome here.” Now, she noticed things about him that she didn’t the first time she saw him. His features are sharp, but the smile he gave completely changed his presence. He looked approachable, almost boyish.

“Thank you for that. We’re gonna go on ahead. Ruby, let’s go.” His voice brought her out of her bubble with Izuku.

“Ok, Qrow. I’ll text you later.” Then they both left through the elevator. Izuku looked at his phone, dumbfounded. 

“Was that the guy that freaked you out? I kinda get why.”

“Mm-hm. I was a little quick to jump to conclusions. I’m glad you’ve made a friend.”

“Huh? Yeah, me too.” Her son suddenly blushed, realizing he had a complete conversation with a girl.

“I’ll get going. I’ll be back soon, honey.”

X

After getting Ruby registered for her gym membership, they went to the library. After about two hours, Ruby was happy to walk out with a few manga volumes and a book of fairytales and myths. Her uncle left with a book on japanese wars. They stopped off to grab some fast food for lunch. He once again made her order for the both of them. 

“Two orders of cheese chicken burger meals, please.”  _ I got it. _ She paid for them and went back to Qrow

“That wasn’t so bad, now was it?” All she had for him was a huff and an upturned nose. But, she cracked and smiled at him.

It was early afternoon when they came home and he went to his room to sleep until it was time for his shift. 

“Wake me up at 4:30 if I’m not up already, would ya?”

“Got it.” Her phone said 12:23 as she set an alarm for later. Once in her room, she piled up her pillows and took to devouring her new books. She almost burst out laughing a few times, but held back to not wake Qrow. Partway through the book on fairytales, she heard his door open. Her phone said it was 4:26. A few minutes later, he came to her room with his Harbinger case on his back. 

“I’ll be home late. Don’t wait up for me. There’s plenty of food in the kitchen. Don’t start any fires.” He droned on.

“You got it. Have a good night.” He then shifted to a bird before her eyes and left. Following him out of her room, she saw that he left the balcony open for himself. She closed the sliding door to keep the breeze out, but left it unlocked for him.

Feeling her stomach grumbling, she figured out what to eat. After cooking pork chops and tasting them, they didn’t taste like they normally do. It was fine, but the taste was off. Then it hit her.  _ I’m trying to cook meals I’m used to in a completely different country. My home was even on a different world in the past. Of course the taste won’t be the same.  _ Now, she’s gonna need to learn how to cook all over again. With plenty of leftovers, she fixed Qrow a plate, wrapped it, and put it in the fridge.

After binge reading all of the manga she got, she was bored. So, she decided to text Izuku before going to sleep..

Ruby:It was pretty funny running into you this morning. How’d your training go?

Izuku: It sure was. Today was my rest day, but I start back up tomorrow. 

Ruby: How long do you train?

Izuku: Some days in the mornings. Others in the evenings. Tomorrow’s a morning day.

Ruby: Would it be possible for me to come over tomorrow? 

His responses had been instantaneous until she asked that question. He responded after three minutes.

Izuku: My mom said it’s alright. I won’t be back until around noon.

Ruby: Could I come by earlier? I’d like to learn how to cook from your mom. I’ve been trying recipes from home and they’re not turning out right. 

Again, he took several minutes to get back to her.

Izuku: She says she has no problem with it. Come by at 11.

Ruby: See you then. Night.

Izuku: Good night.

Her night was full of half-formed nightmares of the Fall. The smell of smoke had her gasping just to breathe. She’d jump out of her skin to get away from it. But the stench was stuck in her nose even while awake.  _ You’re fine. You’re fine. You’re in Japan. Nothing’s burning _ . Her hands grasped her sheets, she’s laying on her bed, she's safe. Heartbeat slowing down, she threw her sheets off her sweaty body.  _ I just want to sleep. _ Her phone told her it was 5:36. Definitely earlier than when she normally wakes up. She tried to stare at the ceiling and looked for patterns. It was after she imagined a serpent coiled on her ceiling that she was able to get a little more sleep. It was around 8 when she woke up and went on with her day.

She walked over to the Midoriya’s a few minutes before 11. Qrow had gone back to sleep after she and him had breakfast together. He hadn’t come home until the early hours of the morning. Before she left, she wrote a note to her uncle that she was down the hall.

After throwing on some sweats, a tank top, and sneakers, she walked down the hall to the Midoriya apartment. After a few knocks, she was greeted by Izuku’s mother.

“Ruby-chan, it’s so good to see you. Izuku told me that you wanted to learn how to cook. Any reason why?”

“I want to adjust my cooking to where I’m living. Thank you for teaching me.”

“I don’t know if my cooking is anything special, but I’m happy to help one of my son’s friends.” Her entire presence gave Ruby the warm fuzzies. _ Izuku definitely has his mom’s smile. _

They got to work cooking together. Inko was patient with her while Ruby observed and copied her. It became less of a lesson and more of a partnership as Ruby caught onto Inko’s movements. Ruby noticed that there was a lot of protein in the form of salmon and beans along with a lot of white rice.  _ This’ll definitely help repair his body after all the heavy weightlifting he’s been doing. This kinda looks like what dad would make for Yang and me after training. _

“Thank you for the help, Ruby. Did your mom teach you how to cook?” Her question had Ruby’s hands freezing for a moment before she bounced back.

“My dad did, actually. He wanted my sister and me to be able to take care of ourselves.” 

“I think he did a good job.” 

“He’d be happy to hear that. After my sense of taste adjusts, I could make something for you. Do you like sweets?” Ruby could make any of her mom’s treats from memory. 

“That sounds wonderful. I’ll be sure to ask Izu-”

“I’m back!”  _ Perfect timing. Everything’s ready.  _ Ruby washed her hands and set the table. Once they were all seated, Izuku started shoveling all of the food they made together. It made her remember Nora scarfing down pancakes Ren would make for her.  _ I wonder how Jaune and them are doing?  _

“Is something wrong?” Inko’s concerned voice brought her out of her thoughts. Then she realized she only took a few bites of salmon and a sip of miso soup.  _ I can check on them later. Don’t want this food to go cold. _

“It’s nothing. Just a little lost in thought.” She dug into her food and was proud of how good it came out. At the next grocery run, she’ll go with Qrow to pick things out.

“You mentioned that you’re going to take the U.A. entrance exam. It’s in a few weeks. Are you nervous?” Inko didn’t expect her question to cause her son to start coughing up.

“Y-you’re going to U.A. too?!” He blurted after catching his breath. 

“That’s the plan. I’ve been studying and training, but the written part’s got me the most nervous.” 

“You’re not worried about the practical?” Izuku said between bites.

“If it’s anything like initiation at my old school, I’ll be okay.”  _ Can anything top getting launched into a Grimm-infested forest? _

“Hero school?” 

“Huntsman school, actually.” Her answer left Izuku mumbling for a few seconds before his jaw dropped.

“You’re from Remnant!” His eyes were bulging out of his sockets in shock.

“Yup. Is that strange?” 

“There’s so little information about it and it’s not known to attract visitors. There are so many rumors about it, that it’s hard to tell what’s real or not. Like if there are really monsters crawling all over the place. I’d like to know how the Huntsman system dif-” 

“Izuku. You can save those kinds of questions for later.” Inko decided then to stop her son from going into a rant. The look she gave her son told him to be patient. Before he could apologize, Ruby giggled. But it wasn’t cruel or derisive. It was a light, full-body shake and her smile was easy-going.

“It’s alright. I’ll answer whatever you wanna know as best I can.” She waved off their concerns and dug back into her food. The rest of lunch passed well. Inko brought up Ruby’s offer for sweets and he agreed to it. Ruby suggested she make chocolate chip cookies after they take the exam. The conversation was kept light with Inko asking how Ruby’s adjusting to Japan. Soon it was over and Izuku left to take a shower while Inko and Ruby cleaned up. When Izuku came out with damp hair, Ruby had made herself comfortable on the nearby couch. Inko had retreated to her room to give them some space, but left her door slightly open. Izuku took a seat, giving himself the maximum amount of space the couch would allow.

“So, what do ya wanna know?” Her question spawned countless others racing through his mind. He even started muttering possibilities. But he caught himself and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“I guess you could explain what you meant by initiation.”

“It decides our teams and roommates for our time there. From what I understand it changes from year to year. For me, everyone was launched off a cliff into a nearby forest to find relics to group us up. Soaring through the air was a fun start to my day.” She still felt bad for that bird she hit.

“That’s terrifying! Why would it be that?” Izuku was shaking like a mouse and suddenly seemed several shades paler.

“Everyone there needs to pass the written exam and a physical exam. Having a combat school on your transcripts helps, but there are people that pass without going to one of them. Having a landing strategy is a basic requirement.”

“But why teams?”

“To answer one of your questions from lunch, there are monsters all over Remnant. Grimm. They’re attracted to negative emotions. It’s better to attack them in groups.” She could see the gears working in his head to process what she said.

“Having a set group allows you to know how everyone fights and coordinate attacks. Since you’re living together, you’ll be bonding which would foster positive emotions that carry on after you graduate. But, wait. If teams are formed so randomly, how do teams with boys and girls work?” Jaune and the others immediately came to mind. Then she thought of Pyrrha. Ruby’s smile faltered and she looked away from Izuku for a moment before she remembered another team. One with less unhappy eventual explanations.

“Everyone rooms together. My parents formed a team with my uncle and his sister. Some complaints I’ve been told was that my dad snored like a bear, my uncle and his sister would attack if they’re woken up wrong, and getting ready while late for class with so many people in one room was in my dad’s words ‘a nightmare’. I can attest to that last one.” Her smile was back in full force, as if nothing happened. Izuku had flushed when she started but had calmed down as she explained. He didn’t miss the slight dip in her demeanor.

“What was your team like?”

“We were polar opposites of each other. But, we didn’t just make it work. We thrived.” From there, she told him about their first day with the bunk beds, some funny times in her classes, and bonding through board games. Her stories made him laugh and cringe. She avoided bringing up the food fight and the situation with Blake. As much as she watched what she said, she felt happy. Talking to someone her age, laughing, having a meal together. It was nice.  _ I miss this. _

“How’s your training going? Getting ready for the entrance exam?” Ruby curled her legs under her and leaned closer to Izuku. 

“I-It’s going good.” Even with plenty of space between them, he couldn’t look at her head-on. So, he settled for looking at the top of her head.  
“I found a gym that permits Quirk use, but I don’t want to fall into a routine.” all of the nervousness he felt faded to the background at getting the chance to talk about Quirks.

“What is your Quirk, if you don’t mind me asking?” He leaned forward from his spot, eyes glittering with interest.

“I turn into rose petals.”

“Huh?” His face was stuck in a smile, but his eyes went blank.

“I guess a better way of explaining it would be that I can turn my body into a flurry of rose petals and go really fast. I can tell by your face that you're still lost.” 

“I’m just having a hard time imagining it.”

“I’d give you a demonstration, but I don’t think your mom would appreciate the mess. What about you?” 

“Me?” He had gone completely still while looking all over the place.

“Yeah. What’s your Quirk?”

“Ah… well i-i-it’s super strength.” His posture deflated as he mumbled. She almost couldn’t hear him.

“That’s neat. I guess that makes you the third person I know with super strength.”

“What do you mean third per-”

But he was cut short by her phone ringing. What threw her off at first was that it was almost four. The second was a text from her uncle asking when she’s coming back.

“That would be my uncle. I’m heading home for the night. This was fun. Let’s do this more often.” He walked with her to his doorway and watched as she put on her shoes.

“I think I’d like that, Rose-san. Or Ruby-san?”

“Just call me whatever you’re comfortable with, Midoriya-kun. Have a good night.” With a wave and a smile she went back to her new home. Later when she sat down with Qrow to have dinner, she recounted her afternoon with the Midoriya’s while he took it in with a smile on his face. She checked in on her friends but they didn’t get back to her.

This became part of Ruby’s routine. She’d go to the gym after breakfast and was delighted to see the wide space they provided. There were pillars at different heights throughout and every surface was craggly enough to climb. After some time on the treadmill and weightlifting, she’d go to that space and let herself fly through the air. Every time she went, there were only a few people who used it, which meant less chance that she’d bump into someone. Every few days, Qrow would take her to a secluded lot he found to keep her hand-to-hand skills sharp. After getting cleaned up, she’d go to the Midoriya’s for lunch and chat for hours until she’d go back to Qrow. On her rest days, she’d spend her time at the nearby library, studying. Her and Qrow would hang out and have dinner, with both taking turns cooking. She’d talk about her day while he’d talk about his last night at work. Never in detail, but he spent the first two weeks shadowing a hero that normally works nights. Then he’d be able to work on his own, like he wanted to. He’d leave later in the night and wouldn’t come back until the early hours of the morning. She’d study until her eyelids drooped. Anything to keep herself from dreaming.Her friends contacted her very sporadically. Talking about missions, helping civilians, and training. But, she heard less from Blake. Weiss got her hair cleaned up. Yang kept things vague about her arm.

Then it was the night before the entrance exam. Izuku was so on edge that he barely ate his lunch or spoke. His eyes would lose focus while looking at his food. When they were done he went to his room and gently closed the door behind him. Her and Inko shared a look of worry between them. 

“I’m sure it’s just nerves, Rose-chan. It’ll pass after tomorrow.” Inko did her best to reassure her. But, Ruby didn’t take it personally.

“I know. But, then comes the wait for the results.” Neither wanted to stop and imagine how he’ll be during that time.

“I’ll get going. I wanna get some more studying in before tomorrow.”

“Good luck with your studies. I hope the exam goes well for you, too.”

“Thank you, Midoriya-san.” She laced up her boots and gave a small bow before leaving. Back at her apartment, she found Qrow on the couch watching TV.

“Hey, pipsqueak.” 

“Hey, Qrow. I’m gonna study for a bit before dinner.” 

“Got it. But you got dish duty.” She gave a little two-fingered salute before going into her room. While pushing her hair behind her ears, she noticed that it had grown down to the base of her neck.. 

After burying herself into study materials for hours, everything was starting to blur together.  _ I think I’m about to go cross-eyed.  _ Her door opening set her free from her self-imposed torment.

“You need a break and fuel in the tank. You’re running on empty.”

“I’m coming.”

Her uncle had made them fried rice and mackerel for dinner. There was a strong teriyaki smell coming from the salmon.  _ It smells great.  _ A low, rumbling, growl came from her stomach.  _ At least it’s just Qrow and me.  _ She had already scarfed down more than half of what was on her plate when Qrow started talking.

“You feeling good about tomorrow?” It took a second to swallow what was in her mouth and process what he asked.

“The written part has me a bit worried, but I’ve done all I can for the last few months. Hopefully it won’t be as bad as the Beacon entrance exam. I know the practical will be a nice wake-up call.” After her exam at Beacon, she needed to take a long, deep nap.

“I know how hard you’ve been working. How did you feel the night before the Beacon exam?”

“I remember feeling anxious. Ozpin had given me the chance to enroll and I wanted to prove that I was worth it.”

“And the morning of?” He put an elbow on the table and rested his chin against his fist.

“I was freaking out till the last minute. My mind was going blank, my hands were clammy. I felt awful. But, I remembered something Yang told me. She felt worse than I did the night before her exam. Then, minutes before she had to take it, she took a deep breath. The frantic buzzing in her head quieted down and she could focus on the exam. She said, ‘Just focus on one question after the other. Concentrate on what you can do in the moment.’.”

“Sounds like good advice.” One of his genuine smiles appeared, along with his eyes softening toward her.

“It is. I just...” _wish_ _she was here._ He knew what she didn’t say. His gaze dropping from her said it all. After a moment of heavy silence, they went back to eating. _My appetite hasn’t vanished, so I’m still okay._ Their meal ended quickly and Ruby took over washing the dishes while Qrow cleared the table. Once they were done, he gestured toward the couch.

“I know you’ve been studying like you’re possessed. But, I’d like for you to take a break with me. You can go back after half an hour if you want.” There’s so much for her to do.  _ But, maybe my brain could use a hard reset.  _ Instead of sitting on the couch like a normal person, she vaulted over it and made a spot for herself. Once Qrow took his seat, he became her backrest. They settled on a game show to kill some time. It was completely outrageous and left her laughing out of sheer astoundment. They ended up watching more TV until her eyelids were feeling heavy.

“I’m going to my room. Good night, uncle Qrow.”  _ At least studying will put me to sleep sooner.  _

“Night.” He patted her head before she left.

She decided to text Izuku about going together for the exam before she cracked open any of her books. 

His response came after a few minutes:  _ Can we meet up around 7:30? I have something to take care of before that. _

Still unable to sleep at 9 o’clock, she tried to study a little bit. After an hour, and catching her head before she face planted on her desk, she deemed herself as ready as she’ll ever be. But, she looked through her things for the gifts she got from her team. After a few minutes, she knew what she wanted to wear tomorrow. That night, she went to sleep with no dreams.

X

It was finally the day of the entrance exam and Izuku was all nerves. After he had finally earned One for All, he rushed back home to get ready.  _ I still can’t believe that I earned it.  _ His entire meeting with All Might felt like a dream. Until he made him eat his hair. Izuku still got shivers from it.

He was able to sneak back in before his mom woke up and take a shower. After cleaning up the beach this morning, he expected to still feel exhausted. But he felt completely fine. When he got out, all dressed to go, he could hear his mom cooking in the kitchen. It was then that his stomach decided to remind him that he barely ate before going out to finish cleaning the beach. He went to his room to pack up everything he’d need for today. But his hands started to shake as he grabbed his tracksuit.

_ Can I really do this? Will One for All come through for me? I didn’t even get to test it out. Can I get into U.A. with this borrowed power?  _ So many worries buzzed around his mind and his stomach twisted into knots. With a few deep breaths, he shoved his tracksuit in his bag.

“Izuku! Breakfast!” His mom called out. He went to the kitchen table quickly, his stomach reminding him that he needed to eat. At the table, he scarfed down his food as quickly as he could. The part of him that was hungry outweighed the nerves flowing through him.

“Honey, slow down. You might choke.” Her eyes widened in worry.

“S-Sorry, mom. It’s really good.” 

“Thank you. Do your best, today. But, please, don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Got it, Mom. I’ll remember that.” He wasn’t sure how to tell her that he needed to push himself to do his best. Better to not worry her. He didn’t leave a grain of rice when he was done. After he cleared the table, he checked the clock on the wall.  _ 7.23 _ . Light, quick knocks came from the front door.  _ Ruby.  _ Peaking through the peephole, he could see her face. She broke into a smile when he opened the door.

“Good MOOoOOOrning! You ready to go?” She greeted in a sing-song manner.

“Yeah.”  _ My hands feel really sweaty, but I’m ready. _

“Hello, Rose-chan.” His mom had come up to see them off.

“Hi, Midoriya-san.”

“Good luck you two.”

“Thanks. We’ll see you later.” The two of them left together and once outside, Izuku noticed that Ruby was dressed for the practical part in a large red hoodie, black sneakers, and black leggings.  _ She has very nice legs. _

“Are you okay? You look kinda red.”

“Everything’s totally fine. Don’t you think it’s a little hot?” He tore his eyes from her lower body to her concerned face. When he couldn’t look her in the eye, he looked to the side. She didn’t seem to notice him checking her out.  _ Thank God.  _ She pushed some hair out of her face and he saw a flash of purple from under her right sleeve.

“Not really. It’s okay if you’re worried about the exam. But, don’t let it overwhelm you. That tends to make things worse. Just don’t forget to breathe.” Her concern warmed him. Then he asked something he wanted to know.

“Are you worried?” Her smile shrinked, but determination shined in her eyes.

“Yeah. I’ve studied all I can and well, whatever happens, happens.” The purple fabric on her wrist waved with her hand movements.  _ I can’t tell she’s worried. _ They continued to the station and once they got on their train, he sighed in relief that they were able to get seats to themselves. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her rummaging around her bag until she pulled out a pair of red headphones. On the earpieces was a rose design. It almost looked like it was on fire or about to be blown away.

“Could you let me know when we get to our stop. This’ll help me relax.”

“No problem.” Then she put them on and settled into whatever music she was listening to. It was also a relief that there was enough space between them.  _ I don’t think I could look at her for the rest of the day if we were pressed against each other for the entire ride.  _ The quiet that came between them was nice. It wasn’t like when he’d go to school on his own and be surrounded by other people taking the same train. With Ruby next to him, hugging her backpack and looking around the train, her presence left a warm comfort with him. It let him breathe easily for the first time all morning.  _ Is this what it’s like to have a friend that enjoys your company? _

“Now approaching Tokyo Station.” The announcer said through the nearby speaker. Izuku tapped Rose’s shoulder. She took off her headphones to listen to him. He checked his phone and it said 8:36.  _ We gotta hurry! _

“Rose-san, we’re at our stop. We gotta run.”

“Sure thing!” She wore her headphones around her neck and got off the train with him. He started running while Ruby was keeping pace right next to him. She gave a little giggle as she matched him, step for step. In a few minutes, they went through the front gate of U.A.. He had to take a minute to catch his breath but when he looked to Ruby, she wasn’t even flushed.  _ What kind of training does she do?  _ Looking around, it didn’t seem like they were even running late since other applicants were just strolling in.

“This place looks pretty cool. All glass. You good?” She took to shifting her weight on the balls of her feet.

“Yeah. Just needed a minute.” 

“Deku!” That familiar, rough growl had the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Turning around had him face-to-face with Kacchan approaching him.

“Move it before I blow you to bits.” He snapped at him. 

“Got it. W-well, hope we do our best today and-” Kacchan just walked past him with no more insults. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rose open her mouth to say something. His hand covered it before she could. She started picking at it, but he held firm until Kacchan was out of sight. 

“Rose, I’m begging you, please don’t start anything.” He took his hands away.

“He can’t just talk to you like that!” Her outburst attracted some stares.  _ We really don’t need any attention. Gotta stop this before it gets out of hand. _

“It’s nothing out of the ordinary.” The hard stare she gave him prodded for answers.

“That’s even worse.” She put her hands on her hips as she spoke.  _ That was the wrong thing to say. At least she’s not yelling. _

“I’ll tell you all about him when everything’s over. Just promise me that you won’t start anything if you run into him.” He grasped her hands in his and looked her straight in the eyes. She held his gaze until she looked to the side, thinking about her choice before sighing in defeat. The proud posture she had sagged too.

“I promise.” The frown she had turned into a pout and he could see that she wasn’t happy about the situation.

“Can I have my hands back now?” She had glanced down at their still joined hands while he mechanically did the same. One second. Two seconds. Then he had jumped away from her, barely able to speak and waving his hands haphazardly. 

“Why don’t we just go inside already.” The easy grin on her face as she spoke told him she was in a better mood already.

“Y-y-yeah. Let’s do that.” So, they did. After receiving identification cards with their names and basic information, they were ushered to different rooms marked with the letters corresponding to their cards. Ruby gave two thumbs’ up before disappearing from view. The room he was placed in was full of desks lined neatly for the written portion. The proctor said they had two hours to complete their test. Once it started, he got to work. There were plenty of questions that he got stuck on and had to skip only to try again a few minutes later. Several questions had him second ( and triple and quadruple) guessing himself. His brain felt like it was working overtime. He had finished with a few minutes to spare and took that time to check his work. By the end of it, he wanted to take a nap. Once all of the tests were collected, they were ushered into a large assembly hall.

He thought his luck had turned up to be sitting next to Rose. However, Izuku had to wonder if it was canceled out since his seat was next to Kacchan. Looking to Rose, she was just fiddling with her identification card. Either she didn’t notice Kacchan or she was ignoring him. She also didn’t look worn out from the exam. Before he could try and say anything, the lights dimmed down. After a few moments, a spotlight shone down on someone at the podium. Even from the distance he was sitting at, the sloped back, blond hair told him who he was seeing.  _ Present Mic!!!!  _ His hands went to his mouth to keep from squealing.

“Rose, do you know who that is?” He whispered to her while shaking her shoulder. 

“Who?” Present Mic got started before Izuku could explain to her.

“Good morning, young listeners! Let me hear ya!” He hollered.

No one made a sound.

“Ya wanna keep things chill? That’s fine by me!”  _ It’s impressive that he can keep his energy going with an unresponsive crowd. _

“So this is how the practical exam is gonna go: you’ll be conducting 10-minute mock battles in fake cityscapes. Soon as I’m done here you’ll all be taken to your designated battle centers, got it?” He pointed to the monitor above him.

“Let’s take a little look at your targets. You got three types of faux villains in every battle center. You’ll get points based on their level of difficulty. Your goal is to wreck as many of them as possible. So, keep your eyes on the clock and pick your targets wisely. But, be sure to keep your eyes on the faux villains. Any attacks on your fellow examinees will result in immediate disqualification.” He gestured to the screen above him. An 8-bit version of him was taking down the different robots.  _ I’m pretty sure I heard Kacchan just click his tongue. Please don’t let me be in the same center as him. _

“This sounds like fun.” Ruby gleefully whispered to him. _ I think you just have a different definition of fun. _

A young man a few rows down from them shot up with his hand raised.

“Excuse me sir, I have a question.” His voice was clear and direct.

“Let’s hear it!” Present Mic pointed toward him with a flourish

“You said that there are three enemies to look out for, but there are four listed on the printouts provided. With all due respect, if this is a mistake on official U.A. documents, it’s disappointing. We, the top students of Japan, have all come here for a chance to attend the best hero school there is. Mistakes like this just can’t be accepted. And you two with unkempt hair.” He had abruptly turned toward Izuku and Ruby, making eye contact with both of them. His glare was piercing from under his glasses.

“Both of you have been muttering to each other almost the entire time. Cease at once. If neither of you can take this seriously like everyone else, then leave. You’re distracting the rest of us.”  _ I didn’t think I was that loud. _ His hands covered his mouth as he looked away in shame. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ruby shrink back a little before she stuck her tongue out at him when he turned back toward Present Mic. Ruby and Izuku showed their cards to each other. She was assigned to battle center C while he was in battle center B. 

“How astute of you, examinee 7111. That faux villain is worth no points, so it’s just an obstacle to avoid. You can beat it, but why would ya? There’s one per battle center. Does that answer your question?”

“Yes, and thank you.” Satisfied, he bowed and sat back in his seat with no more objections.

“Alright, everybody! Before I sign off, I give to you a parting gift. As general Napoleon Bonaparte once said: ‘A true hero is one who overcomes life’s misfortunes’. You ready to get this party started? Lemme hear a Plus Ultra!” 

Again, no one spoke.

“Will those assigned to battle center A please exit first.” Ever the showman, Present Mic bowed, a hand over his heart while the other was pointed toward the exit.

“Later, loser.” Kacchan sneered as he walked past him. She just watched him leave before turning toward Izuku. Her stare seemed to ask,  _ what’s the story behind that?  _ With no way to answer her, he just shrugged and looked at his lap. Then battle center B was called to leave. 

“Good luck, Midoriya.” she stopped him from packing his things. The smile she gave was warm and calm. 

“You too, Rose.” Then he left with the other applicants in battle center B.


	3. Chapter 3

After the written part of the test was over, Ruby was pumped to get to the practical part of the test. She fiddled with the ends of her sister’s kerchief around her right wrist and let her feet quickly tap against each other the entire bus ride there.

While looking out the window, she couldn’t believe how big the campus is to have so many different battle centers and buildings. The inside of the bus, though, was oddly quiet. Everyone was keeping to themselves. Some looked exhausted from the written part, others terrified, and some were completely relaxed.

The bus finally came to a stop and everyone was ushered out, left to wait for the gates to open. Once outside, she gawked at the size of the walls of the battle center as she stretched out her legs. When she was done, she joined the rest of the participants waiting for the huge doors to open. But, she didn’t try to squeeze through the crowd. _I am not in the mood to get trampled on._

“Hello, my lovelies! I hope you’re ready to get your blood pumping!” A woman’s voice came from above the entrance. Then came the crack of the whip in her hands. _Are her breasts exposed? I can’t tell._

“What’re you waiting for? The fun’s just begun!” that made everyone’s attention snap to the opening gates of the battle center. Chaos ensued as everyone was trying to cram themselves in. Ruby backed up and sprinted toward the crowd before shifting into petal form and soaring over them before shifting back, several feet ahead of them. With no time to lose, she ran ahead looking for any robots to destroy.

A one-pointer rolled from an empty space between two buildings in front of her. With a single leap, she landed on it, crushing it on impact. Everyone else was flooding in, which brought out more of the robots. Looking forward, she saw five more robots racing toward her. Jumping from the wrecked robot under her feet, she made quick work of them by landing feet-first before pinballing for the next target. The wind in her hair, her heartbeat racing, she missed this. The gym couldn’t compare. With six robots down, she started to dash forward until something caught her attention. A robot was racing toward the back of a girl with pink hair. With her body on auto-pilot, Ruby zipped toward the robot, satisfied with the sound of crushing metal. Her crash had caught the other girl’s attention. Ruby realized that her skin was also pink and she had golden eyes with black sclera. 

“You okay?” Ruby asked with a breathless grin. The pink girl only nodded before giving a thumb’s up. Ruby gave one of her own before she vaulted for the next robot in her sights. _This. Is. Awesome!_

 _I don’t even know what number this makes this robot._ She thought as she took down another two-pointer. _I kinda wish I had a watch to know how much time I have_ . Only her and a few other people had made it to the end of the main street of the fake city they were in. The boy with the crow’s head was one of them and she once again had to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. _Is that a shadow monster coming out of his stomach?_ It’s head matched its owner and had claws to smack away any incoming attacks. _Moving on._ Most of the robots in the area seemed to be taken up or destroyed. People were even butting in on each other’s fights. Turning left on the main street, she decided to take her chances farther in. Some robots rolled out from spaces and she saw the crow boy go for the closest ones to him. She kept moving forward. The sudden rumbling of the ground stopped her.

“You got two minutes to go, darlings!” It was that woman’s voice again, and Ruby could hear her smile in every word.

The ground started to shake beneath her feet. Every tremor caused all of the examinees to freeze, wildly looking for the source of it. _It’s from right in front of us!_ Without thinking, she grabbed the arms of two people closest to her and jumped back several feet as the rumbling got louder and kicked up clouds of dust around them. Through the dust, she saw green metal and looked up, and up, and up. She let go of the two people she grabbed as she took in the robot, towering over all of the nearby buildings. It’s large hands gripping the roofs of them crumbled in it’s grip. _This place sure doesn’t mess around, huh?_

Stampeding footfalls momentarily competed with the sound of the zero-pointer’s slow approach until the only sound left was the sound of it’s treads. Ruby had taken a few steps away before she heard something above the zero-pointer’s approach.

“Help!” It was a boy’s voice, terrified, coming from the side of the street. His blond hair made him easy to find. A pile of rubble was pinning him down, leaving him trying and failing to crawl out from under it. The zero-pointer was still some distance away. _I’ll get him out in time._ She shifted toward him and started talking while digging him out.

“Hey! Is anything broken?” His fearful expression relaxed as she got to digging him out.

“N-No. You can just drag me out.” She stopped trying to dig him out and grabbed both of his outstretched hands. Then they were gone from her grip as a gust of wind passed her. Looking back, there was a grouping of blue petals wildly zipping around her before the boy spontaneously shifted back mid-air and fell on his front.

“What the hell is with your Quirk!?” the rumbling from behind her kept her from answering him and the color in his face drained. He sprinted away, with her Quirk randomly going off on him. She followed his example and got to running. The sound of metal creaking got a lot closer. A glance back and she saw the zero-pointer’s giant hand try to grab for her. Rolling out of the way with no difficulty, something wrapped around her middle and yanked hard. She was being pulled toward the top of a building on the opposite of the street and away from the robot. 

Wind rushed by her ears and she followed the material up toward the roof. All she saw of her rescuer was black hair before she noticed that she was about to face-plant against the building before she made it to the top. _Oh crud_! Her legs swung forward at the last possible second. She jumped the last little distance to the top. Whoever it was didn’t account for how fast she was coming in and toppled back, wrapping their arms around her. 

X

Sero Hanta was taking a moment or ten to catch the breath that was knocked out of him. One minute he was pulling a guy away from the zero-pointer, the next he was getting rammed in the chest and toppling back. _Pretty sure I didn’t hit my head._ He cut the tape connecting them. His lungs appreciated the guy rolling off of him. Bright, light laughter punctuated with little snorts got his attention. _That did not sound like a guy._

“Are you okay?” Her voice was clear and had a bit of an accent. A girl’s face framed by black hair appeared in his view of the sky. _Oh crap, she’s cute!_ A sweet face, pretty lips, and big, silvery eyes that were now looking at him. The scent of roses coming from her left him pleasantly light-headed.

“Yeah. I’m all good. What’s so funny?” He pushed himself up to a sitting position. The oversized red hoodie she wore made her look small, her petite hands peeking out from the sleeves to stifle her chuckles. His tape wrapped around her middle told him that she was on the thin side.

“Nothing at all. It’s just nerves. Thanks for the save.” She got up to her feet and offered a hand to him. As dainty as it looked, he could feel calluses on her palm and along her fingers. When he was on his feet, she let his hand go and looked around.

“What is it?” At his full height he was looking down at the top of her head.

“It’s quiet. Did the test finish already?” She was right. There was no more rumbling and he looked toward the entrance to the battle center. _I guess we didn’t notice_. A crowd was beginning to form around it.

“Looks like it did.”

“Guess we better get going.” She approached one side of the building but he stopped her.

“Let me help get my tape off you.” Her eyebrows quirked before she looked down at his tape wrapped snugly around her waist. Then she looked surprised, as if she completely forgot about it.

“Oh, sure.” Her easy compliance brought her closer to him and with her arms raised. A short walk around her later and he found the end of it at the small of her back. The sound of it coming off prompted her to start slowly spinning away from him, unraveling herself. But, she was getting closer to the edge of the building.

“Wait! You’re gonna-” His warning came too late and she was right on the edge. However, she kept her balance on the ball of her left foot, her arms spread out like an airplane. Her face was the picture of relaxed joy. She looked from the precarious position of her foot to him. A slight breeze blew her hair back, showing the ends fade from black to red.

“I’ll be okay.” She hopped off with a giggle. He ran over to the edge.

Looking down, he saw her bounce from one side of a building to the other until she got to the bottom and rolled out to the main street. Probably sensing his stare, she looked back to him and gave a wave with her right hand and a friendly smile. A small piece of purple fabric peeked out from her sleeve and followed the movement of her arm. All he could give was a dazed smile and wave before she left in a flurry of rose petals. Alone on the roof, Hanta realized that he forgot to do something incredibly crucial and was mentally kicking himself over it.

 _A pretty girl literally falls on top of me and I don’t even think to get her name. Or her number!_ He frantically rappelled himself down and sprinted to try and catch up with her. After he made it to the entrance and was checked by the school nurse for injuries, he tried to look for her hoodie while he got on the bus. It was nowhere to be seen among the other examinees, so he gave up on his search. If only he saw her without it on and looking out the window. In his seat, the exhaustion of the whole exam caught up with him. 

X

Finally in some clean clothes, Ruby waited around the entrance for Izuku to come out. After thirty minutes, mostly everyone else had already left. She tried texting him but got no response. Until a taxi stopped in front of her and his mom came out, frantic and wide-eyed.

“Ruby-chan!”

“What’re you doing here?”

“I got a phone call from the school that Izuku needed to be picked up. Have you heard anything?”

“No. I’ve been waiting out here for him since I finished.”

“He’s over here.” There was a man who looked like living cement walking toward them with an barely conscious Izuku in the wheelchair he was pushing. 

“What happened to him?!” Both mother and friend cried out.

“He broke both of his legs and one of his arms during the practical. Our nurse was able to heal him, but it took a lot of the boy’s energy. All he needs now is plenty of bedrest and a hearty meal when he’s ready for it.” Even though this man’s voice was slow and even, Midoriya-san was beside herself with worry. Ruby lightly patted her back. _It’s the middle of the day now, so he might not wake up until later tonight or early tomorrow, huh?_

“He’ll be okay. Let’s just get him home. I think his bed will be more comfortable than that chair.” They carried him into the back of the taxi and folded away the wheelchair. They didn’t need to worry about returning it according to Cementoss, the man made of cement. _So he can control cement? I bet he gets plenty of work in the city._

The ride home was quiet with Midoriya-san constantly fretting about keeping Izuku’s head upright the whole time and making sure nothing was putting pressure on his limbs. Back at the apartment building, after Ruby grabbed his things and hers from the trunk of the taxi, Inko finally spoke to her.

“Thank you for waiting for him, Ruby-chan. I know he’d be happy knowing that.”

“Well, we went there together, we were gonna leave together. He’s my friend. There was no way I was gonna leave him.” Ruby opened the front door and pressed the button for their floor. 

“How about when he wakes up, both of you can tell me how the exam went. You can even bring your uncle over, if he can make it.” Both of them shared a smile together. At their door, Midoriya-san rolled Izuku into their apartment and into his room. Ruby just slipped off her sneakers before walking in. Inko rolled him into his room and waved Ruby inside. After Inko unlaced his shoes, Ruby set his bag next to his desk, and helped her tuck him into bed. Her hands wrapped around his ankles like they were made of glass. His face was completely lax and his breathing was even. Ruby then looked at his room. _This is a lot of All Might merch._ She recognized him from the few interviews that aired back home. His enthusiasm and energy oozed out of the TV screen. Practically every surface of his room was plastered with All Might. Posters and figurines took up any open space there was. But it was clean and orderly. The posters were perfectly level and the figurines were spotless. Ruby and Inko left his room for him to sleep.

“Does his Quirk always do this to him?” _I can’t imagine the pain or the size of the medical bills._

“No. Actually, it developed quite recently.” Inko folded the wheel chair and set it against the wall.

_I’d understand that if this were Remnant, but don’t Quirks manifest earlier everywhere else? I guess he was a late bloomer._

“I’m gonna go home. See you later, Midoriya-san.” She whispered.

“Bye-bye.” Midoriya-san practically mouthed back to her, she was so quiet. Back at home, Qrow was there waiting for her in the kitchen. A strong scent of different spices and juicy meat wafted to her. There was rice steaming in the rice cooker, too.

“Welcome back, kiddo. How’d everything go?”

“Izuku got hurt, but he’ll be okay. As far as the exam goes, I think it’ll work out.”

“We’ll get the results in a week, right? Lunch is almost ready. I made curry. You can get cleaned up when you’re done.” she nodded as she took her seat. _This smells amazing!_

“Anything happen during the exam?”

“The written part went okay, I think. I didn’t really second guess myself much. But the practical part was so much fun.”

“How’d it compare to initiation?”

“I’d say it was just as fun, but too short. We had ten minutes to take down as many robots as possible in these fake cities they had. I did lose track of how many I destroyed though.” It would’ve been nice to brag about how many points she got.

“I don’t doubt that you were zipping away the entire time. You’ll be okay.” 

“Waiting’ll be a pain, though.”

“Isn’t it always? Now dig in.” with just one spoonful of curry and rice, she remembered how hungry she was. She went back for seconds and thirds before she felt stuffed. The hot shower she took afterward worked wonders on her sore muscles. Stretching out just loosened her completely. She got to texting her family and friends about the exam. Her dad was the only one that responded immediately, saying that he’ll be waiting to hear from her for the results. _Everyone else is probably busy._ To pass the time, she got to reading one of the books she got from the library. But, it got harder to keep her eyes open and she started yawning. _I wanted to know how this story…_

The first thing she saw was a lot of blurred words in her face. _It’s been a while since I’ve woken up with a book on my face._ She marked her place in the book and realized it was the next day by the light streaming through her blinds. 

After breakfast she got to baking for Izuku and his mom. Her body went through the motions like muscle memory, but the far-away feeling of nostalgia kept her grounded. She did want the cookies to taste good, after all. As she went along, the smell of them baking in the oven brought her home. Though it was less of a memory and more of an impression of one. Her clinging to a skirt and that same scent coming from it. When she’d look up at the woman wearing the skirt, her features were unclear, like trying to look at someone through thick fog.

The timer went off and she opened the oven to reach for the pan of cookies. Her bare hands had her stop before she even touched it. She threw on some oven mitts and set the pan down on the stove to let them cool.

After an hour, she was knocking on the Midoriyas’ door while holding a plastic container with the cookies in them. Izuku had answered the door. He looked like life had been drained out of him. 

“Morning! I got the cookies I promised.” She stretched out her offering for him that he half-heartedly accepted.

“Thanks Ruby. I can’t wait to try them.”

“Is that Ruby-chan, Izuku!?” His mom had called out for him.

“Yeah! She brought the cookies!” She came from down the hall in her slippers and smiling at Ruby.

“Come in, come in, Ruby-chan. We can have them together.” She got closer to Ruby, practically guiding her inside without touching her.

“Mom, she might be busy.”

“I’m actually free. Let me just let my uncle know where I am.” She sent a text and put on the guest slippers that Inko provided for her. 

“How did your practical go, Izuku?” he slightly flinched at her question.

“It was intense. Everyone was scrambling to get points. The test wasn’t even half over and it seemed all the robots were destroyed already.” His voice flattened as he spoke.

“Pretty sure that was the norm for the day. Same thing happened at my battle center. Though that zero-pointer really shook things up, huh?” She stared at him with a tight-lipped smile barely containing her giggles. He couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

“That was terrible.” His posture straightened a little and he finally looked her in the eyes.

“But, you’re smiling. Now, no more exam talk until we get our results next week. Worrying about the results won’t accomplish anything.”

“Understood. Those cookies smell amazing.” His mom had laid them on the kitchen table and got glasses of milk for them while they were talking. They took their seats and dug into the cookies.

“These are great, Ruby-chan. The chocolate’s just gooey enough.” Inko gave a little sigh in contentment. Izuku was quieter as he ate his, but the pleased smile he had matched his mother’s.

“Did your father teach you how to bake, too?”

“This is a family recipe I learned from my sister. She was enough supervision in the kitchen. I’m glad you like them.” They kept eating the cookies while Inko mostly provided conversation for all three of them. When the dozen cookies she brought were half-way done, Inko had put them away for later.

“You two can spend time in Izuku’s room while I clean up.”

“But, m-my r-room is a mess and well, it’s-” He became as red as a fresh apple.

“I saw the All Might merchandise yesterday when I helped your mom put you to bed.” The flush Izuku had completely drained from his face as he slowly turned toward her. 

“Okay. My room it is.” He looked like he wanted to sink into the floor as they headed toward his room.

X

He left his door slightly open behind him while Ruby made herself comfortable at his desk chair. She didn’t take any time to gawk at his bedroom walls. _At least I was unconscious when she first saw my room._

“So what was up with that guy from the entrance exam?” She laid her hands against the backrest and lowered her chin to rest on them.

“The one with the glasses?”

“No, but he was a bit of a jerk. I’m talking about the guy that threatened you before we even got into the building.” Her lips tightened in distaste briefly before relaxing into a neutral line.

“Oh. Kacchan.” _I was hoping she’d forget about that._

“I take it you’ve known each other a long time?” The look she gave him was gentle, but prodding.

“Since preschool, actually. We were friends.” 

“Was he always like that?”

“He’s always been kinda rough. But, things changed when his quirk came. He became stronger, prouder. He stood tall no matter what. One day he just completely rejected me as a friend.”

“He reminded me of the bullies from my old school.”

“He’s not that bad, honest. He’s gotten a lot less confrontational since we got caught up in a villain attack together.” She hardly looked convinced by his words.

“Something like that usually makes for a good bonding experience.” _Why am I not surprised that you’d consider something like_ _that_ _a bonding experience?_

“Since then he’s mostly left me alone. But if we get into U.A., I don’t know what’ll happen. Just, if we all end up getting in, please don’t start anything with him over me.”

“You mean when. When we all get in, I won’t bother him. I can’t keep that promise if he picks a fight with me on his own, though.” Her face had softened, her eyes warm and confident. He couldn’t look away from her. 

“I’ll accept that. I don’t think he’ll find a reason to notice you. The only way he’d notice you off the bat would be if you got first in the practical exam.” _She doesn’t seem like the type to go out and cause trouble. He’ll leave her alone._

“That’s good to hear. I’d like to avoid any serious confrontations while I’m here, thank you very much.” 

“Ruby, I still have more questions about your home.” 

“Okay, shoot.” The intense stare and eager smile she was giving him became too much to bear, so he broke eye contact first.

“What’s it like growing up with monsters around?”

“Where I lived rarely got attacked. It was just a little island a short swim from the mainland. Depending on where you live, Grimm attacks range from a way of life to nonexistent. They get more common the farther you get from the capitols.”

“I take it the school you went to was in one of them. It’d make the most sense to control when you fight them.” 

“Uh-huh. Though, there were two forests around my school that were filled with Grimm. Some teachers would bring them in for us to practice on. We’d go into the woods to get a feel for how it’d be once we graduate. Security made sure they never got too close to the city.”

“This was all in your first year?” She glanced away from him for a moment and he saw her smile falter and her index fingers poke each other. Then she was cheerful again and she laced her fingers together. The speed she took to recover was impressive. _Did I make her remember something she didn’t want to? Maybe I should stop asking questions._ She noticed his hesitation.

“Yeah. It was great. You can keep asking questions, if you want to.” _I’ll take her at her word, for now._

“Okay. What’s your school’s name? I don’t think you’ve mentioned it before.” 

“Beacon Academy. I wanted to go there and be a hero like the ones in the books.”

“What do you mean?” She kept her smile, but her eyes lost focus. That faraway look was gone before he could comment on it. Then they were sparkling with resolve. 

“When I was younger, my sister would read stories to me and I just fell in love with the heroes in them. Fighting for what was right and defending people who couldn’t defend themselves. I know there are other jobs that help people, but being a Huntress is the only choice for me.” _I know where she’s coming from._

“What’s your family like?” 

“My dad works as a teacher at a combat school back home. My uncle did, too, but he’s here to keep an eye on me. I got to go to class and be on a team with my big sister at Beacon, so I had at least one person I already knew with me. That was nice.” _Team? No, talking about her family seems to be safer than her time at Beacon. I'll just keep the conversation where it’s safe._

“What about your mom?” 

“Hm?”

“You haven’t mentioned your mom. Was she a teacher too?” 

“No. She was a Huntress. She passed away on a mission when I was three.” _I thought this was a safe topic. I shouldn’t have asked about her mom._

“I’m sorry about that. I-I didn’t mean to-”

“Don’t worry. I don’t really remember her, anyway.”

“Still...” _Is she still smiling to keep me from feeling bad or does it not bother her?_

“Like I said, it was a long time ago. Plus, she did leave some things behind. Like the recipe for the cookies I brought over. I did some adjustments of my own, though. Recipes are more like guidelines than rules, y’know?” _Thank you for changing the subject for me._ He had no idea how to bounce back from that topic.

“I’m not much of a cook, so no.” She jumped out of her seat, barely making a noise when she landed. Excitement was radiating off of her as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

“How about we make something together when we get our letters next week? I have all of her recipes memorized. Any dessert you’d want?” Every word out of her mouth was too fast, but he was sure she said something about baking sweets.

“Macarons?”

“I can do that. This’ll be so much fun.” They kept talking about deserts, their favorite foods, and anything they could think of before Ruby went home. With their plans for the next week, he had something nice to look forward to. He felt closer to her after their talk. But, it also felt like she was hiding something. _She’ll tell me if she wants me to know._

X

The week to wait for the results passed too slowly for either Ruby or Izuku’s liking. Ruby waited for the results with anticipation and nervousness. However, Izuku felt nothing but dread and apprehension. They fell back into their routines of hanging out, training, and anything they could think of to pass the time. Ruby got a text one night from Yang. It was a picture of her with a shining metal arm to replace the one she lost.

Yang: It’s a gift from Ironwood. Dad’s gonna get me back in shape.

Ruby: It’s magnificent. Good luck with Dad. His training will do more than get you back in shape. I wouldn’t wanna be you.

Yang: I definitely needed a kick in the rear. How’s Japan?

Ruby: Different. I’m friends with my neighbor. I’m waiting for my entrance exam results.

Yang: Glad to hear it. Is it a boy? I know you’ll get in.

Ruby: Yes, my neighbor’s a boy and no, it’s not what you’re thinking. The practical part was kinda fun.

She got a notification. It was a picture from Weiss. It showed her eating lunch with Jaune. In the background, she noticed Ren trying to keep Nora from a steaming pot. Yang texted back.

Yang: I can’t believe they found each other! I’m so happy for them. Weiss looks like she got her hair cleaned up.

Ruby: Same. Her hair looks nice. You hear from Blake?

Yang: Just a couple texts every now and then. She’s in Mistral with her parents last I heard.

Ruby: I miss her. All of you.

Yang: I’m pretty sure I can speak for everyone, we miss you too. 

Ruby: Thanks, sis.

Yang: I’m gonna let you get to sleep. Time difference and all that.

Ruby: K. Night.

Hearing from her big sister gave a similar feeling as a hug, comforted and cared for. But, she’d very much like a real one. It was one of the things she missed the most from her family and friends. _It is pretty late._ She buried herself under her blankets and tried to sleep. Her dreams kept going back to that night.

Then the fateful day came. It was almost one in the afternoon when Izuku texted her that he got his letter. Which made her rush to her own mailbox. There it was. A white, lumpy envelope with the U.A. symbol on the stamp. She grabbed her phone to call him.

“Hey, I got my letter. Did you open yours yet?”

“No, I haven’t.” He sounded nervous.

“Does it feel like there’s something else in your letter?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s usually a good sign. If it were a rejection letter, it’d be slimmer. Do you wanna open them together?” Her attempt at a joke managed to get a little chuckle out of him.

“Thanks, but no. I think this is something I need to do on my own.”

“Okay. Talk again when you’re done?”

“Yeah. Bye.” He hung up. 

Ruby went to her room, locked the door, and shut the blinds. She slid her fingers under the flap and tore the envelope open. There was the letter but also a sleek disk-like thing the size of her palm. She rolled it between her hands before she felt it vibrate. A projection came on immediately that she dropped the disk on her desk. On it was some kind of creature in a suit. She couldn’t tell what kind of animal it was, but there was one thing she knew. _He’s adorable!_

“Hello Ruby Rose. Am I a bear? Or a mouse? To you, I’m principal Nedzu!” _Even his voice is cute!_

“I’m here to congratulate you on your performance at the entrance exam. While your score of 45 points from destroying robots would’ve been enough for you to pass, that wasn’t all we were looking at. ”

“That score was calculated as Villain Points. A hero doesn’t merely take down villains, but saves lives as well. These are Rescue Points. Any action taken to defend a fellow examinee was counted toward this score. From your actions defending others as you went...” His right paw lifted and a scene of her saving the pink girl came up. “to assisting others in their time of need.” His other paw prompted a separate scene of the main street during the practical. It was of her digging the blond boy out of the rubble. “You’ve earned yourself 35 Rescue Points! Coming to a grand total of 80 Points. Earning yourself the top score of the practical exam.” 

_Was not expecting that. I was sure I passed, but getting first never crossed my mind_.

“From myself and all our faculty, I say: Welcome to U.A., Rose-chan.” He gave a little bow and a wave before the projection ended. A few minutes passed. Her phone rang. She answered. 

“Did you pass?” Izuku’s voice was oddly calm.

“Yeah. You?”

“I passed.” They were quiet, only listening to each other’s breathing. Until…

“WE DID IIIIIITTT!!!” They both screamed at each other through their phones and did their own little dances in their rooms. Once their excitement settled down, Ruby got down to their next matter of business.

“When do you want me to bring the stuff for the macarons? We got to celebrate!”

X

Qrow knew Ruby had gotten accepted by the joyful squeal coming from her room. _You got past the easy part pipsqueak. The hard part’s coming up._ His musings were broken by his cell phone ringing. The number was unfamiliar, but he could see that it’s from Remnant. He took the call on the couch in the living room.

“Hello.”

“E-e-excuse me, sir?” It was a boy’s voice. The cracking told him he’s around Ruby’s age.

“I think you have the wrong number, kid.”

“Are you Q-qrow Branwen?” Now he was on edge.

“Who’s asking?”

“A-an old friend who w-w-would like his cane back.” _Oh._

“Can’t exactly do that from Japan, Oz.”

“He told me to call you and Taiyang. He said that you and Ruby had gone there for her to attend U.A.. He also explained what he knew about her teammates that left and her sister’s condition.” The boy had calmed down considerably, his breathing evened out.

“That’s true. She passed the entrance exam. Classes don’t start for another month. Why the call?”

“We’re going to Haven Academy. He wanted to check in with the headmaster there.” Ozpin’s trying to make up for lost time. While Qrow had left Ruby before coming back to take her to Japan, he did some digging of his own. Going over how the attack was carried out on Beacon. He overheard Ruby say the name Mercury and remembered his last name. Even knew his father when they were younger. Looking up Mercury brought up nothing aside from his school records at Haven. There was nothing he could find about his father either.

The girl, Emerald, was just as inconclusive. There were only her records from Haven to go off from. The records for the other two girls on their team came up clean, too. So, Qrow flew over to Mistral to investigate. 

“I did some digging around before I left for Japan. I can tell ya no--”

“Wait! The timer’s almost up. I’ll message you once I get my hands on a phone.” Something had just occurred to Qrow.

“Kid! What’s your name?”

“Oscar, sir. Bye!” The call cut off. _So it’s a kid this time, huh? You sure got your work cut out for you, Oz._ Ruby’s bedroom door slammed open followed by her quick, light footsteps. He set his phone down on the cushions and got up to greet her. She jumped at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and letting her feet dangle in the open air. 

“Qrow. Qrow. Qrow. I got in. I got in.” Her mouth was going a mile a minute.

“I knew you’d get in, pipsqueak.” He smiled into her hair as he held her close and patted her head. _This’ll be good for her._

X

Cinder took a stroll in the barren wasteland around Salem’s lair. The surrounding area was too bleak to call a home. Constant black clouds, Grimm wandering all over the place, dark Dust crystals sprouting out of the ground. Walking had become easier over the past few months. She didn’t want to think about the first month after she woke up. _Weak. Practically crawling. Barely breathing. Unable to speak. Her left arm numb._ It was the weakest she had ever been and she couldn’t rage at the unfairness of it all _._ Now, she could only speak above a raspy whisper without needing Emerald to translate. Her hand brushed along the high collar of her dress _._ A dull ache bloomed from her left shoulder. The new fingers twitching from the left hand still felt foreign, detached, from her. 

While lost in thought, she came across one of the numerous dark puddles on the island. Right on time to watch a claw emerge from it. Then a thick furred arm with bone-like protrusions. Then the familiar maw of a Beowolf greeted her with its’ twisted version of a smile. Once it came out completely and shook off the excess ooze like a dog, it just stared at her. The familiar burning, hungry eyes boring into her, studying her. But, it sat where it stood, waiting for her to move.

 _So, I’m too weak to attack, huh?_ Anger flooded her mind like a drug and her new arm swung at the Beowulf. Flames came from her long sleeve, hot enough to turn the Beowolf to ash in an instant. Her lips twitched as the arm burned her. She cradled it to her chest as she fell to her knees, heaving in breaths through clenched teeth. _It’ll pass. It’ll pass. It’ll pass._ Her mind echoed that to will the pain away.

After it waned, she pushed her hair behind her right ear while pressing down her bangs on the left. Even through her glove, she could feel the smooth patch on her face transition to rough scar tissue that couldn’t be covered. Then she strutted back to the lair, any discomfort she felt hidden beneath her fluid walk. _I just need to get back to my room. I’ll be fine tomorrow._ She just had to cross through the antechamber and then…

“Cinder.” Her smooth voice froze her. Turning her head slightly and there she was. Calmly waiting with her hands clasped in front of her. She was even smiling. Cinder faced her and stood at attention. 

“I’m glad to see you up and about. Even testing your powers. How’s your arm?”

“It’s good. Strong.” Hopefully she could get by with short responses.

“I also saw that it caused you some pain from your own attack.” There was plenty of space between them, but Salem’s presence took it up and made her seem bigger than she already was. Cinder might as well be a figurine examined for any crack or flaw. But, she kept her posture tall and looked her in the eyes.

“It’s nothing.” Her response prompted Salem to approach her. She was all effortless grace, poise, and power as she circled her.

“You’re going to have to get used to it. That arm is part of you, but it’s still a Grimm arm. With all of the weaknesses that come with it. It won’t burn from your power but nothing can be done about the pain. All you can do is grow accustomed to it.” She stood before her within arms’ reach once she finished. Salem placed her cold hand on her bare shoulder. Cinder didn’t flinch at the contact.

“Any suggestions?”

“I was just about to get to that.” With her free hand, she made a beckoning gesture toward the entrance. The sound of claws clacking against the stone floor told her what just came in before she turned around. _Beowolfs._

“You just have to kill these three before you leave. With your new arm, of course” The doors to the outside and deeper inside the lair closed with her last word. Salem’s heels resounded louder than the growls of the Beowulf’s circling around Cinder. She could already feel the burning build up inside her. _I just want to rest, for fuck’s sake._

“Go on. Make me proud. Show me that you’re stronger than that little girl.” Searing pain erupted from the left side of her face and from her shoulder. _The marks she left on me_ . Her doll-like face, emotionless and empty, with light spilling from her eyes, was the last thing she saw before _she_ burned her face. One of the Beowulf’s pounced at her, mouth open to tear her apart. It never got a chance to touch her. The other two didn’t either. _She won’t see me coming._

“That’s it, Cinder.”


	4. Chapter 4

After texting everyone she knew about her acceptance into U.A., she didn’t hear back from her friends until several days later. She gave her dad a quick phone call to tell him the good news. He sounded so happy for her. It gave her a swell of pride. Then her friends got back to her. Quick little  _ Congrats  _ and  _ Good luck _ s. When Yang’s message popped on her phone, she tried to get information out of her.

Ruby: How is everything going? You haven’t really mentioned anything.

Yang: Hectic. I’m gonna leave home soon.

Ruby:Really? Where are you going?

Yang: To catch up with the others.

Ruby:Okay. Hope to hear from you soon.

Yang: Love you.

Ruby: Love you too.

_ Everyone has bigger things going on right now. It’s okay.  _ Besides, it’s a good thing that Yang’s leaving. Ruby got a call from Weiss later. Wishing her well and choking out a begrudging thank-you for the haircut. People had a difficult time recognizing her, which made exploring easier. She even sent a picture. She had gotten it cleaned up since they last saw each other.  _ Whatever you’re all doing, I hope it works out. _

X

A few days after Ruby got her results, Qrow’s phone buzzed from an unfamiliar number. He answered it and it was Oscar. But, not. The voice was much more even and calm. 

“Hello, old friend.” Hearing his words in a teenage boy’s voice was a tad concerning.

“Hey, Oz.” Qrow explained everything that he had gathered before he had to leave for Japan. 

“Thank you for all that, Qrow. How’s Ms. Rose doing?”

“She’s adjusting. She passed the U.A. exam.” 

“I can only imagine that she went into it with a smile.” Ozpin gave a little satisfied hum.

“It was nothing compared to when she got the results. Day-to-day life has been good.” The pause he took was a little too long.

“But, something’s amiss, isn’t it?”  _ Can always count on you to notice the little things. _

“She’s been having nightmares. I can’t say I’m surprised. I just wish I knew sooner.”

“Well, you know now. I know that you won’t just let this be. What she needs is support and time.”  _ I just hope that I can. _

“I have to go now, Qrow. I wish you two the best.” 

On Qrow’s next day off, he took her out to eat at a little ramen shop he found during one of his shifts. It was run by an old man and his son. They were as in sync as the gears in a clock. After they finished eating, they stopped by a store to get her a game system and some video games on their way home. 

“Don’t pout when I inevitably kick your butt.” He had just thrown the gauntlet. 

“This means war, old man.” They couldn’t set everything up fast enough when they got home. Neither kept track of the time or how many matches they did. The sun had long set and Ruby was fast asleep on the couch, her mouth hanging open and the controller dangling from her loose fingers. It would’ve hit the ground and woken her up, had Qrow not caught it an inch before it could make impact. But, Ruby pitched forward and he could see her hitting her head on the coffee table they rested their feet on in his mind. His free arm extended across her to keep her upright. She didn’t stir from her sleep.

He picked her up and cradled her in his arms.  _ I haven’t had to carry her to bed in a long time.  _ Walking through her room without making a sound was easy, his eyes long used to navigating through the dark _.  _ While taking in her space, he was bothered by how bare it was. The only signs of her living there was her messily made bed and the stacks of books next to it.  _ Still doesn’t feel like she’s settled in. _

He tucked her in without missing a beat. His hand reached out to stroke her hair. But, he caught himself. _Sweet dreams, kid._ As he turned to leave, he heard a feeble whimper. Then he saw her unsettled face. He grabbed her shoulders and lightly shook her. Whines kept coming though.

“Wake up!” She woke up with his raised voice and a rougher shake. He sat back to give her some space to sit up. 

“U-Uncle Q-Qrow?” Her panting was the loudest sound in the room.

“You were having a nightmare.”

“Ah. Yeah.” Even though her voice had evened out somewhat, he could still make out the fearful furrow of her brow.

“How long?”

“Ever since,” she took a deep breath, “then. On and off. I’m sorry.” 

“Hey. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Silence took over the room. He sat on the edge of her bed. Then he spoke up.

“Do you wanna talk?”

“Just, anything else. Please.” So they did. About home. Missing her team. Crescent Rose. The new games they got. Her upcoming first day at U.A.. While talking, his foot tapped the stack of books next to her bed. It tumbled over.

“Sorry about that.” he fixed the stack and eyed some of the titles. He noticed a book on Japanese mythology.

“Do you have any favorites from this one,” he asked while holding it up.

“Huh?” She perked up a little.

“The mythology one.” 

“Yeah.” From there she went onto different tangents of different myths and gods. The more she spoke, the fear completely disappeared from her voice. After talking for some time, her speech started to slur and she mumbled more. 

She started to lay back down. When she turned to her side to face him, one of her hands peaked above the covers. He held it in his own, giving it a small squeeze before . In the dark, he could make out her eyes closing. He let her hand go, fixed her stack of books, and left without another sound.

While cleaning up in the living room, he could only remember a handful of times he felt as lost as he did in that moment. She had seemed to be making a place for herself. Making a new friend, keeping busy. She hadn’t brought up Beacon since they arrived.  _ Though, she might not know how to talk about it. Or just want to focus on what’s in front of her _ . The last thing he wanted was to force her to talk about it. He could only hope that getting distance, time, and making new friends would help. Then he remembered seeing her with so many friends back at Beacon. For the time being, he’d keep his eye on her.

He couldn’t always be there to keep her nightmares away. 

X

The nightmares came and went. Sometimes they were so vivid she would wake up in the middle of the night, alone, in the dark. She spent time with Izuku and his mom, pushing her worries into the farthest corner of her mind. Qrow took her shopping. She came home to the apartment with school supplies, new books, sheets, a red rug and fairy lights for her room. They worked together to set up the lights. The room felt a little less bare. The fairy lights gave a warm glow whenever a nightmare would jolt her awake.

X

It had finally come. Her first day at U.A.. She slept through the night, which felt like a good sign for the day. The crisp uniform and backpack full of fresh school supplies made it all feel real. She was sure her past first days of school weren’t this nerve-wracking. What she needed to be was calm, composed.  _ Blake.  _ She pulled the ribbon out of the single drawer of her desk. Tying it into a bow on her head took a little extra effort. Her hair had grown even longer. The moment the bow sat perfectly centered on her head made it all worth it though.  _ I already know someone, so things should be okay.  _ A wave of familiarity came over her.  _ Things should be okay so long as I’m not left to flounder about on my own.  _

Qrow was currently helping her with her tie.  _ I really miss the ribbons. They weren’t this much trouble.  _

“How do you even know how to tie a tie? I’ve never seen you wear one.” They were in the bathroom looking at their reflections while he was guiding her hands with his own on pulling the longer end through the loop. He gave one of his breathy, barely-there amused huffs.

“Parent-teacher conferences and the rare times I’ve had to go to Atlas.” With some last little tugs, the tie was completely neat and centered. She ate a full breakfast and had her bag at the front door. A knock came from the front door and she gave her uncle a quick hug before she tried to rush to answer it. Her foot slipped on the floor mat and she extended her arms to catch herself. Qrow caught her around the waist and righted herself before she could process she wasn’t falling anymore. She walked out of the bathroom this time.

“Have a good day, kid.” He gave her a kind smirk while she put on her shoes.

“I plan on it.” She opened the door and saw Izuku. His tie was crooked and chunky, and his smile was shaky. 

“You ready?” 

“As I'll ever be.” he said, giving her a thumbs-up.

“Good enough.” While she was pulling on her backpack, Izuku glanced past her shoulder.

“H-Hello, B-Branwen-san.” He gave the young man a slight nod. Izuku fought to keep from recoiling from his intense eyes.

“See ya, uncle Qrow.” She barely got the words out before she closed the door behind her and locked it with the key around her neck. They made the journey to their new school.

“I still think your uncle’s kinda scary.”

“I can assure you, he’s not. How’re you feeling?” 

“Excited. A little terrified, though.” 

“All we can do is hope for the best. And if things don’t go great, well, it’s only the first day. Nowhere to go but up.” It couldn’t be any worse than the day she arrived at Beacon.

“I’d like just an ounce of your optimism.” 

X

While they were on the train together, he wondered how things were gonna go when they ran into Kacchan. There was no doubt in his mind that he got in, too.

“Think that girl who offered her points got in, too?” Her shoulder lightly bumped his while she spoke. The nice girl’s face flashed in his mind.  _ Maybe I shouldn’t’ve mentioned that while we were baking.  _ They did get together to bake the macarons he suggested and talked about the contents of their acceptance letters. When he mentioned the nice girl that tried to give her points to him, Ruby looked incredibly touched. The look of impressed astonishment on her face when he told her about how he took down the zero-pointer was one he wouldn’t forget anytime soon. Or how she picked him up in a hug and spun him around. _ She’s definitely stronger than she looks _ . The texture of the macarons was a little lumpy. But, the taste was just right.

“I hope so. It’d be a shame if she didn’t.” He really wanted to see her again, if only to thank her for the gesture.

The intercom called out their stop and they disembarked. The streets to get to U.A. were filled with other students in uniforms, chatting together and brimming with anticipation. That same energy continued once they were inside and switching their shoes. It still felt unreal realizing that this would be his new routine. 

“Hey Izuku, do you know where our class is?” That completely froze him.

“Absolutely not.”  _ Please don’t let this be a sign for how this day will go. _

X

Ruby would be eternally grateful that the school posted maps on each floor. But, they did get turned around and ended up heading toward the Development Studio.  _ Putting a pin in that for later _ .

The large ‘1-A’ emblazoned on the door signaled that they made it to their homeroom with enough time to spare. All Ruby could think was how such a large door could be light enough to slide back and forth. Izuku was closest to it, but he didn’t try to open it.

“Something on your mind?” The nerves he had earlier seemed to be creeping up on him.

“Just hoping Kacchan and that guy that called us out aren’t in the same class as us.”

“It’s a big school. What’re the odds?” They shared a smile, he perked up his posture and he slid the door open with a smile on his face. 

“Take your feet off that desk this instant.” They instantly recognized that solid, clear voice. He just so happened to be reprimanding the other person neither Ruby or Izuku wanted to encounter. Who was looking at this stern young man with a mixture of contempt and arrogance.

_ Me and my big mouth.  _ Izuku’s thoughts weren’t off from her own.

Ruby could only watch their argument with resigned exhaustion.  _ Everything’s okay. Everything will be okay.  _ The young man was briefly thrown off by this display of disrespect, but recovered his prim and proper mask.

“I believe we got off on the wrong foot. I’m Teny Iida of Somei Private Academy.”

“Somei, huh? That explains everything. You must think you’re better than me. It’s gonna be a pleasure tearin’ you apart.”  _ That seems like a bit of a leap in logic. _

“You’d threaten me? Your own classmate? Are you sure you’re in the right place?” Bakugo just gave a huff and an aggravated eye roll. He glanced toward the entrance and seemed to get even more annoyed at the sight of Izuku. Tenya followed his line of sight.

“It’s him.” Tenya’s statement prompted everyone else in their seats to turn toward him too. He was stuck still with nerves while Ruby was quick enough to hide behind the door frame.

“Did you get popular between the exam and now?” She whispered to Izuku. The attention he was getting seemed to cause his brain a hard restart.

“Good morning. My name is Tenya Iida and I-”

“I heard you earlier. I’m Izuku Midoriya. This over here is my friend, Ruby Rose. Nice to meet you.” She bashfully peeked at Tenya from her useless hiding spot and gave a small nod toward him. He curtly returned it before turning his attention back to Izuku.

“Midoriya. You realized the true purpose of the practical exam, didn’t you?” Confused and not knowing how to respond, he let him continue.

“You must be very perceptive. I was completely wrong about you. I admit, as a student you are my superior.”  _ What is he talking about?  _ was the message Ruby sent Izuku through their shared glances. 

“Wait a sec. I recognize that hair.” A girl who had jumped out of her seat and another that had just arrived said in unison. However they were directed at different people. A brunette started gleefully chatting up Izuku who couldn’t look at her directly without blushing bright red. But, Ruby’s attention was directed elsewhere.

“Hey there. Do you remember me?” A girl with pink hair and skin gleefully asked Ruby. She did remember her. The moment of recognition brought her out of her hiding spot and looked at the excited girl directly.

“Yeah. We were in the same battle center. Happy to see you made it.”

“I just wanted to come over and say hi. Thanks again for the save. That bow you’re wearing is adorable. I’m Ashido Mina, but you can call me Mina.” This girl was a bit too close and very excited. Ruby gripped the doorframe.

“H-Hello. Don’t worry about it. And thank you. I’m Ruby-” A chill went up her spine. _Is someone watching us?_ She shuffled back from the cheerful pink girl and glanced down both ends of the hallway. Something yellow at the bottom of her line of sight had her slowly look down. It was a sleeping bag and there was a man’s head in full view through the opening. His long, black hair trailed out of it and framed a pale, unshaven face. The eyes under his bangs were lined with shadows from lack of sleep. _And are looking directly at me._

“If you’re only here to make friends, then you can all pack up and leave.” The conversation next to her abruptly stopped and everyone around her peeked toward the man in fear. 

“Welcome to U.A. everyone.” All of the students crowded around the door inched away from him into the classroom. His voice was flat and tired. A hand with a little squeezable pack came out which he sucked from.  _ He looks like a yellow caterpillar in that sleeping bag _ . He got up while still inside it and unzipped it from the inside. It revealed that he was all in black except for a utility belt and what looked like a gray infinity scarf piled high around his neck.

“It took most of you eight seconds to shut up. We’re gonna have to work on that.” His steady gaze briefly looked at her before he continued. “Time is precious. Truly rational students would understand that.” He came into the classroom and regarded everyone else.

“I’m Aizawa Shotw. Your teacher.” This all felt a little too familiar to her. The hand not carrying his sleeping bag reached inside it and pulled out a gym uniform.

“Now that that’s out of the way. Get these on and meet me outside.” Everyone was just as incredulous by his haggard appearance but they obediently did as he said.

X

“A Quirk Assessment test!?” No one knew how to take this curveball.  _ It’s exactly what he said, you morons.  _ Some chick bitched about missing orientation and the entrance ceremony. Their new homeroom teacher completely dismissed her and went into a lecture. He tuned him out, waiting to get started and show all these extras real power.

“Rose, you got the top score on the practical, right?” Any joy he felt at getting to let loose fizzled out like a dead firework. Aizawa threw the softball at the far end of the line everyone was in.  _ Who the fuck took my spot?  _

“Do you remember your furthest ball throw from your old school?”

“Afraid not.”  _ Sounds meek. She’s got an accent. _

“Well, now you got a record to set for yourself. Step right up.” He got a look at her from the back. Short, thin, small. Her shoulders curled in on themselves, trying to make her look smaller.  _ How the hell did this brat end up here?  _ She held her arms up at shoulder height and looked at the circle she was in.  _ The hell is she doing?  _ Satisfied with whatever she did, she took a stance. But it wasn’t to throw. She crouched low then shot up in a flurry of red. It went up in a spiral for a few seconds before she reappeared mid-air and let the ball loose at the peak of her jump. He couldn’t see where it went. Unbothered by the height she found herself, she landed like a cat.

“What was that?!” He couldn’t stop himself. 

“I stayed in the circle, didn’t I?” She turned toward him with a confused tilt of her head and Bakugo got to see her head-on. A doll-like face and big gray eyes.  _ She’s just a runt. _

“You did. I never said anyone had to stay on the ground. You should all strive to push your Quirks as far as they can go. It’s the most rational way to determine your potential as heroes” He displayed the smartphone in his hands to the rest of the class. The distance was 342 meters. _A fucking technicality._ Yet everyone fawned over how far she got, how creative she was with her Quirk. Then they got into how they could have fun. Their new teacher shot those ideas down on the spot and got into another lecture. But what he said next got his attention. _I just got two runts to tear apart now._

X 

“Today you’ll compete in eight physical tests to gauge your potential. Whoever comes in last has none and will be expelled immediately.”  _ I think Uncle Qrow did something similar to one of his classes one year.  _ But her new teacher wasn’t done yet.

“I decide how this class is run, understand? If you can’t take it, then go home now.” He pushed his bangs out of the way to give a crazy determined glare to everyone. Some looked intimidated. Others looked ready to get started.  _ If his goal was to fire everyone up, mission accomplished.  _ But, the girl that talked to Izuku earlier jumped in on how unfair it all is.  _ Why do I think he’s gonna counter with something like ‘life is unfair’? _

“Are natural disasters fair? Or power-hungry villains? Catastrophes that could wipe out whole cities in mere moments? No, the world is full of unfairness.” _ Called it. I practically have Uncle Qrow as my teacher. I’m pretty sure I’ll pass the tests, but I’m worried about Izuku. Will he break his bones again? _ What he said next brought her train of thought to a screeching halt.

“It’s a hero’s job to combat that unfairness. If you truly want to be a pro, then you’re gonna have to push yourself past your limits. U.A. will throw one hardship after another at you for the next three years. So go beyond. Plus Ultra-style. Prove you didn’t get in here by some fluke.” Her heart swelled at his words _. _

The first event was the fifty-meter dash.  _ This one’ll be easy _ . She stood to the side and watched her new classmates go two at a time. Most of them were running normally, though a few caught her eye. Mina ran barefoot while the boy next to her royally failed to make it with his belly-button laser in one go. It caught her attention that Mina looked like she was gliding.  _ Does her skin secrete some kind of slippery stuff?  _ When Tenya’s turn came up, she noticed exhausts extended from his calves. Then he sprinted, leaving the girl next to him hopping along like a frog. Ruby noticed Izuku fidgeting a few feet away from her, head low and keeping his eyes on the ground.  _ He looks so tense. _

“You still here?” Izuku jumped like a scared alley cat.

“What?” 

“You look like a million things are going through your head right now. Try to focus on just breathing. Slowly.” He seemed skeptical, but his back straightened out. His chest inflated with a deep inhale then deflated with his exhale. He repeated it a few more times until it seemed his mind cleared a little.

“That help?”

“A little, thanks.” Then she was reminded of where she was.

“Midoriya, Bakugo. It’s your turns.” Aizawa-sensei called for them. Ruby gave Izuku a smile and two thumbs-up as he left. Both boys got into position. Then they were off. She winced at Izuku’s wild form while sprinting. Bakugo propelled himself with the explosions coming from his palms.  _ Always pay attention to his hands.  _

It was finally her turn. A serious-looking girl with black hair in a ponytail came up in roller skates.  _ Where did she get those?  _ The timing machine went off. Ruby blew past her with no trouble.

“0.96 seconds.” The robot gave her her time.  _ I can’t remember the last time I timed myself.  _

“You’re like a duck in water here.” Mina approached with a bounce in her step. 

“I guess. It looked like you were skating when it was your turn. What’s your Quirk?” A smell caught the attention of Mina’s nose, and she followed it to Ruby.

“I can secrete acid from my skin. I can control how strong it is, too. Actually you kinda smell like roses now that I’m closer to you.”

“Really? No one’s ever mentioned that before.”  _ Dad and Yang have never brought it up. _

“Hey there.” A boy with short black hair and a friendly smile came up to them. He seemed vaguely familiar to Ruby. The next thing she noticed about him was the circular shape of his elbows. 

“Tape boy from the practical exam!” He perked up at her recognition of him.

“That’s me. I’m Sero Hanta.”

“Glad to see you made it. You can just call me Ruby.” 

“Come on. Keep it moving.” Aizawa’s commands put their conversation on pause.

She wasn’t expecting anything spectacular from the grip strength test. The screen showed 70 kg of pressure when she did it.  _ I’m pretty sure Yang would’ve crushed this thing.  _ She shook her head, trying to keep from thinking too much. Trying to focus on the now.

When the standing long jump came along, she soared past the sandbox. The repeated side steps were like doing hop-skotch. Easy and kind of fun.

Then it was time for the ball throw. The highlight came early when the girl that chatted Izuku up this morning got a distance of infinity.  _ So she can negate an object’s gravity? Could she slow something’s descent or is it just one way?  _ Watching everyone go gave her a chance to observe their Quirks. However, aside from the boy with the tail, everyone threw the ball normally.

Until Sero and a boy with a crow’s head. Sero wrapped the ball in tape and left some material hanging before he folded the tape for him to grip it. He spun around, the ball building up momentum. Then he let it fly.  _ Now that’s creative.  _ The next boy, Tokoyami, had a shadow creature come out of his stomach.  _ Why is it cute? _ It threw the ball for him. Bakugo’s turn came up. While he took the ball from Aizawa-sensei, his eyes met hers in a glare. She recoiled, shuffling behind Izuku. _ Why me?  _ He took a pitcher’s stance and at the last possible second, set off a huge explosion to send the ball in a smoking arc. When he was leaving the circle, a grin broke out on his face. His expression said  _ I’m better than you _ . Cardin’s face came to mind. 

Now it’s Izuku’s turn.  _ He hasn’t used his Quirk yet. This is the only test left where he’ll be able to show off. _ Bakugo mentioned something while talking to Tenya.  _ Izuku’s Quirkless? That doesn’t add up.  _ However, she ran out of time to let the information sink in _.  _ While he was standing in the circle, staring at the ball, the tension coming off of him was palpable. His legs widened, arm pulled back, then she saw it. Energy pulsing through his entire arm, bright as the sun and about to burst. In the blink of an eye it was gone. The ball only reached 46 meters.  _ Wasn’t he about to go all out? _

Aizawa-sensei suddenly looked different. His scarf and hair floated in the air as if underwater. He seemed to be talking to Izuku. She only wished she could hear him. But, something Izuku said got the whole class’s attention.  _ Our teacher can cancel out Quirks? It also doesn’t sound like he’s that well-known. _ Izuku looked terrified. But, she couldn’t sense any malicious intent from Aizawa. Even when he snagged Izuku to him with his scarf. After he said what he wanted to, he seemed to give him another chance.

A different kind of shiver went down her body again.  _ Who’s watching us?  _ There weren’t a lot of places nearby to hide and keep watch. She looked around and again caught something yellow in her line of vision. It was easy to recognize the bright blonde hair looking like a bunny’s ears. The yellow suit was new, though.  _ All Might.  _ They locked gazes momentarily and she didn’t miss the slight jump he gave. She gave a quick smile before turning back to watch Izuku.

It was perfect timing, too. Izuku pulled his arm back, but she didn’t see that same energy go through his arm again. As he got further in his throw, she saw that same light. It was concentrated in his index finger. At the last possible second, he sent the ball soaring and kicking up a powerful wind. When he turned back, she saw his pained smile, eyes fighting back tears, and a single broken finger.

Hostility built up to a fever pitch in a few seconds from someone in the crowd. It didn’t take any thought to realize who was giving it off. She didn’t hear anything he might’ve said. She didn’t spare a thought while lunging at him when he raced for Izuku.  _ Friend. Danger.  _ They rolled in the dirt, she easily grabbed his wrists. Then she had him pinned to the ground _.  _ She pressed his forearms into his back, slightly turning his hands toward him when she felt heat coming off them. 

“Rose, stand down!” Aizawa’s shout brought her back to reality. Her grip on Bakugo’s arms loosened, letting him roll away and buck her off him. Which threw off her balance, sending her falling on her behind.  _ What just happened? _

“You two are wasting time. Whoever’s next, step right up.” Aizawa kept everything moving when he saw that no more trouble would come. Both of them got back on their feet. Looking to Bakugo, his head was down, but she saw the murderous look in his eyes through his bangs. She quickly joined back with everyone else, keeping to herself, twiddling her fingers. 

“Ruby?” It was Izuku, worry creasing his brow. A tinge of shame built up in her stomach.

“I’m sorry. How’s your finger?” She kept her eyes on his swollen finger cradled to his chest, still feeling the glare from Bakugo. The infinity girl came up, also concerned about Izuku. Ruby couldn’t find it in herself to keep talking. Then, she sensed oncoming movement. From the corner of her eye, she saw a hand approach her. Her body backed away on its own and she took in the boy who tried to touch her. His hair was spiky and bright red.

She could see his mouth moving, but his voice was unclear, her heartbeat drowning him out. All of a sudden, she couldn’t look at him directly. Her stomach twisted. Every muscle coiled like a spring. Her twiddling fingers were tightly linked and shaking. More movement in the corner of her eye. Izuku stepped between them, bringing everything back into focus.

“It’s time for sit-ups.” Aizawa called out for the entire class. She could hear Izuku talk to the boy and the infinity girl, waving them off.

“Are you okay?” Izuku kept her at arm’s length.

“Y-Yup. Let’s go c-catch up with the o-others.” She went on ahead, her hands lightly shaking at her sides.

The sit-ups and toe-touches were a nice breather to have. The long distance run gave her a chance to calm down. She went at her normal pace and found herself alone. Counting her footsteps gave her mind something to focus on. Tenya had finished first and was still stretching when she made it. When she finished, she stretched as well.

_ How much longer until everyone’s done?  _ More of the middle crowd was coming up on the end. In the distance, she could see Izuku and a disembodied gym uniform pulling up the rear.  _ Guess I still gotta wait. _

“Rose-san.” Tenya had finished his stretches and seemed to want to get something off his chest. His extremely serious presence made him a bit overwhelming.

“Yes. What is it?”

“I’m sorry for how I treated you back at the entrance exam. It was unfair of me.”  _ Maybe I was wrong about him? _

“Don’t worry about it. I know I shouldn’t’ve been talking in the first place, anyway.”

“I also wanted to ask if you saw through the true purpose of the practical exam.”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you know that we would be judged on saving our fellow examinees as well as fighting robots?”

“Nope. I just helped out whoever I thought needed it when I could. There wasn’t much thought put into it.” He seemed completely floored by her explanation.

“What about when the zero-pointer appeared?”

“I didn’t try to take it down if that’s what you mean. Didn’t need to.” The astonished face he made was just like the one he made back in the classroom. He quickly collected himself and inclined his head to her.

“It would appear you and Midoriya are my betters.”  _ Please no. _

“Don’t think of it like that. We all got into U.A., didn’t we? So it’s nothing to worry about.” She couldn’t stop the little nervous giggle she let out.

“Even so, we are all at different starting points. You acted quickly when Bakugo tried to attack Midoriya earlier.” He looked toward the last few people hobbling toward the finish line. Izuku came in last and looked like he was about to die, red in the face and soaked in sweat. Him finishing prompted him to fall over. _Oh boy._ Aizawa called everyone over. Izuku was picking himself up when she joined him.

Aizawa presented everyone’s scores on a display from his smartphone. Ruby saw her name at fourth place. She was satisfied with her results. But her pride in her placement faded when she saw Izuku’s name at last place.  _ He’s gonna be expelled. _

“I was lying at the start. No one’s getting expelled.” Almost the entire class had to do a hard reset to make sure they heard him right.

“That was a rational deception to make sure you all did your best.”  _ I feel dumb for not realizing that.  _ It was a small comfort that most of the class fell for that trick. The girl with the long ponytail really should’ve mentioned that she figured it out. 

“That was a bit much for an assessment test don’t cha think?” Mina came up to her with a relieved grin. 

“Maybe a little.”

“Makes you wonder what the rest of the year will be like, huh?” Sero joined them, giving a smile. 

“I’m actually a little excited for whatever comes next.” It felt like it’s been a while that she felt that way. After everyone’s disbelief and nerves completely dissipated, he dismissed everyone. Though, he stopped Izuku to give him a note for the nurse. In the few seconds that she waited for Izuku, Aizawa glanced at her, their eyes meeting. Her body stilled while he regarded her, waiting for him to say something. He blinked and walked away. She released a breath she was holding, letting her posture relax before heading off to the locker rooms.

While skimming through the syllabus, as one does, she waited for Izuku in the front courtyard. Everyone else was milling about and chatting amongst themselves. The light spring breeze was refreshing. A line of text in the syllabus drew her eyes to it.  _ It’s recommended that students visit the school psychologist at least once a semester.  _ The nightmares she’s been having off and on again came to mind.  _ Maybe I should mention it to Uncle Qrow? _

“Ruby-san, were you waiting long?” Izuku came up, his bright smile illuminating his face. But, his eyes looked tired. Shadows appeared under them that weren’t there that morning. She folded the syllabus and shoved it in her bag. 

“Are you okay? Didn’t you go see the nurse for your finger?” He startled at her observation, but held up a bandaged finger for her.

“Apparently Recovery Girl’s Quirk only works based on how much stamina you have. Which results in feeling drained afterward.” 

“Well as long as you’re okay. Did you see anything about the-” Only a few steps out the door and they were stopped. 

“Midoriya, Rose!” It was Iida again. They were all going in the same direction, so it made sense to go together.

“I was concerned about how Aizawa-sensei handled our first class. But, I’ll trust the school’s judgment. Even so, lying to us is downright immoral.”

“Maybe that means we gotta tell if he lies to us again in the future.” She chimed in. Something like that could be interesting.

“He wouldn’t do that. Besides, even if he did, we’d catch onto it.” Iida interjected.

“Not if he keeps it unexpected. Just enough to keep us from calling his bluffs.” Iida’s seriousness was kind of reassuring. He’s just very passionate about doing everything by-the-book.  _ It’s a little comforting. _

“Hey! Are you guys heading to the station? I can join you!” It was the girl that threw the ball to infinity. She introduced herself as Uraraka Ochaco and called almost all of them by name. But, she referred to Izuku as Deku.

Izuku was as confused about that name as Ruby was.  _ Guess I missed that earlier.  _ Him explaining that it was a childhood insult only added another reason for her to dislike Bakugo. Ochaco explained that she liked it because it sounded like ‘doing your best’. Even Ruby could hear the similarity between them. Izuku completely back-pedaled on that name being an insult. Seeing him blushing and avoiding looking at Ochaco spelled everything out.  _ I don’t think Jaune was this bad with Weiss. _

They went to the station together and enjoyed each other’s company. Ochaco and Tenya were the main contributors of conversation, leaving Izuku and Ruby to respond when prompted. The easy energy, the bouncing topics, the smiles. With the excitement of the day worn off, exhaustion creeped up on Ruby like a shadow at the end of the day. She tried to keep any yawning to a minimum and concentrate on whatever her new friends were talking about. Eventually Ochaco and Tenya had to get off, leaving Ruby and Izuku on their own. He broke the silence before it got too awkward.

“Thank you. For earlier. I know you were only trying to defend me.”

“Well, I don’t like seeing my friends hurt, so you’re welcome. Though, I don’t know if I’ll be able to avoid him, now.” She looked at him directly, her hand rubbing the back of her neck.

“Yeah. You getting first on the practical exam got his attention. Holding him down with no problem just added more fuel to the fire.” Silence came back between them, neither knowing what to do. She saw him open his mouth briefly then close. So, she spoke up.

“Aside from that and the expulsion threat, I’d call this a pretty good day.” 

“Yeah. But, now things’ll only get harder from here.” He kept his back straight, but his eyebrows scrunched in uncertainty.

“We’ll just take it one day at a time. Besides, we both seemed to make new friends today. Though, you seemed to have more than friendly thoughts for one of them.” Her eyebrows gave a little jig while she gave him an amused grin at his quickly blushing face.

“I-I-I have absolutely n-no idea what you’re t-talking about.” The interior of the train suddenly took up a lot of his attention.

“There’s something I wanted to ask you.”

“Hm?” Now he could look at her.

“You know a lot about heroes.” It was pretty obvious.

“I guess. I’ve always admired them, so I’ve always observed them.”

“Could you teach me more about them? Today gave me the realization that aside from All Might, I don’t really know anything about heroes here.” She was gonna have to catch up.

“Sure. I have so much information on different heroes. Are there any specific ones you wanna learn or, just in general? Their backgrounds? Their skills? Rankings? I can give an overview of the top ten.” He pulled out a notebook from his backpack. Upon opening it, she was drawn to the scrawled notes and the drawings he made of all of the heroes. They spent the whole ride home going back and forth, hunched over his notebook. He even gave her some websites that listed out heroes and their stats.

The playful peace they’ve established lasted up to their farewells.

Over dinner that night, she recounted her day to her uncle with all of the excitement she had. Attacking Bakugo was mostly glossed over. While she complained about Aizawa’s trick, Qrow was . He stayed mostly quiet, only giving a snarky comment when she paused to take a breath. While washing dishes, the words on her syllabus came back to her mind.

“You there, pipsqueak?” He was trying to pass on another dish he washed for her to rinse. 

“Yup, everything’s good.” She kept her hands moving, and her eyes focused on the sink. Maybe she’ll mention it to him when the week’s over. The next time he spoke, everything was clean and put away. They were both going to their bedrooms.

“Are you still bothered by attacking that boy?” He was off, but it still made her cringe.

“Yeah. He was a jerk, but I made a promise. I don’t know what to do.” He shifted his weight to one of his feet, his hand stroking the scruff of his chin while his eyes gazed at the ceiling.

“Ignore him when you can. If you have to talk to him, try to keep it civil. Your mom had mixed results with that approach.” 

“It did?” The mention of her mom had her perking up.

“There was this guy that tried to pick fights with her every chance he could. But, she never took the bait. Even tried to talk him out of it whenever he came around. She may as well have been talking to a rabid Ursa. No matter what, she never even raised her voice. Long story short, the next combat class we had, she took him out with one hit. From that day on, he was as meek as a mouse.” He was looking off into the distance, a wry smile on his face.

“She was that patient?” When Ruby fought with Cardin, it was sprung on her. She blanked out until she was in the ring with him.

“I didn’t understand it myself at the time. I asked her why she never just decked him from the start. Her reasoning was that if she did, he’d never stop bothering her. She also didn’t want to get, in her words, ‘in an unnecessary fight’. Hence her trying to talk to him. Beating him soundly in a fight in front of the whole class was meant to stop him altogether. Later I understood that she was trying to avoid a fight, but only engaged when she ran out of options. Sometimes when she tried talking, she prevented a fight. Other times, were like that guy.” He gave her shoulder a light pat before going into his room. She watched him go before going into her room.

Once alone, she thought of her mom. Thinking back on the picture he showed her and Yang, she looked like a fairly easy-going person. The kind that didn’t let things bother her. The idea of being that level-headed was daunting.  _ I wish I could be like that. _ It would just be another thing to work on. She’d need it if she was going to have to interact with Bakugo on a regular basis. It did take time for her to fall asleep, but her dreams were uneventful that night.

X

Qrow checked his phone for messages. It was Yang. She met up with the rest of her team and friends. They did some investigating of their own into the White Fang and the imposter students. The trail they found led to Haven.  _ They’ll be leaving for Mistral soon. _

He got another message from Ozpin. He’s been training Oscar while they were making their way to Haven _.  _ Qrow let him know that Yang and her friends were heading there too. 

_ Explaining why a teenage boy is the host body for Oz will be something else. I hope they’ll know what to do. Right now, Ruby’s my main concern. She seems to have made friends already. Hopefully this Bakugo brat doesn’t cause her too much grief.  _ Though there was something else that bothered him. The feeling of her staring after him.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Date note added: 12/21/2020  
> I'm currently looking for a beta reader. I have some ideas for future chapters and would like some help planning them out. I'd like someone who is familiar with both MHA and RWBY and is comfortable with the tags of the fic. Experience as a beta reader preferred. Feel free to message me.


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